The Game of Let's Pretend
by Hilaire
Summary: REVISED CHAPTER SIX UP! Set 7 years after the anime. "Lookie here," Natsume said, pissed off. "I don't have time for this. I already have a girlfriend." He put an arm around Mikan's shoulders. "Here she is. And you're making her really jealous."
1. Meet Natsume's Sweetheart

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gakuen Alice.**  
Claimer:** This fan fiction, its OCs, Azure Yacht, the Seňorita, and the Quidnunc, are _mine_.

This story follows only the anime, and takes place _seven years after its timeline_. This means the events in the series have already happened, and I _might_ use them for reference.

The interpretation of characters presented in this fic is my own, and has been drawn up based entirely on the anime. I _**don't**_ read the manga, so please overlook any inconsistencies with it that will undoubtedly turn up.

* * *

**The Game of Let's Pretend**

"Lookie here," Natsume told his fan girls, pissed off. "I don't have time for this. I already have a girlfriend."  
He put an arm around Mikan's shoulders. "Here she is. And you're making her _really_ jealous."

* * *

"**Everyone is playing the game of let's pretend."**  
~ Hilaire

* * *

**Chapter One**

**Meet Natsume's Sweetheart**

It was an ordinary afternoon in the Alice Academy. The lunchroom was loud and busy, with the continuous arrival of student. Some were eating, while others engaged themselves in a food fight. In a corner, Mikan, Hotaru, and Yuu were eating their lunch. In the far end was Natsume and Ruka's table. Elementary, middle school, and high school girls were squealing their hearts out in an attempt to capture the two young men's attention.

It was a _very_ typical day.

"Honestly!" the seventeen-year-old Mikan exclaimed as she glared in the direction of Natsume's table. "Those girls spend more time watching Natsume eat than studying their lessons! I don't understand what they must have seen in him!"

"Calm down, Mikan," Yuu said, smiling at his friend understandingly. It was several hours ago that Mikan's hair nearly reached its demise when the young woman irritated Natsume Hyuuga with her incessant lecture about punctuality. "There's no use getting angry with Natsume."

"I can't calm down, Yuu! It's already been seven years, but Natsume still won't quit setting my hair on fire!" Mikan complained, putting down her fork with a sigh. "I can't even believe it's already been seven years." It was astounding to realize how much time had passed them.

It had already been seven long years since Mikan first entered the Academy. With Yuu, Hotaru, and the many friends she had made along the way, she learned how to manipulate her alice, improving it for the better and using it to help other people inside the school. It hadn't been easy, considering the fact that she never knew anything about alice until she arrived in the school by mistake. In the course of her improvement as an alice, her perseverance and determination both proved to be useful, and it was with these two things that she was able to be in control of her ability. She knew she still had a lot to learn, but everyday she made progress, and she prided herself with this fact.

Throughout the years, she had also learned to appreciate her alice. As she grew older, she came to realize that it would be to her disadvantage if she took every criticism to heart. She taught herself to take criticisms in a stride, to learn from them every time, and to know when to listen and when not to. She had faith in her ability, and she knew, somehow, that no alice was useless, and although she might not understand it now, there had to be a reason that her nullifying existed and continued to coexist with all other alices inside Alice Academy.

"I can't believe I still have the same problem from seven years ago!" Mikan said, the pigtails of her long hair quivering as she shook her head. She had grown much taller over the years, although for most part her appearance hadn't changed that much. "I wish I didn't have Natsume in my class!"

Yuu only laughed. "At least Hotaru and myself are with you in Class A, Mikan," he said, giving a shy smile that would have left half the female population of the school gasping for air. The dutiful Yuu Tobita had grown up to be one of the most charming young men in the Academy, and he was beginning to attract the rather dangerous attention of the girls in the school.

"A wonder, don't you think?" Hotaru said. Her dark raven hair was still cropped short, her violet eyes as mysterious as her attitude had always been severe. "Why is Mikan with top star students like us in Class A?"

Mikan heaved a sigh. "I'm trying my best to earn my third star, Hotaru," she said, looking down at the two stars on her dark high school uniform. "It's just so hard for me, and it doesn't help that Natsume burns my hair every single day of my life."

Hotaru shook her head. "Natsume always burns your hair because you're so loud. It pays to shut up sometimes."

The brunette pouted, asking the same question she had always asked in the last seven years, whenever she and Hotaru had this argument. "Whose side are you on exactly, Hotaru?"

Hotaru scoffed, only to give the same answer she had always given in the last seven years. "Myself, of course."

Some things never could change, after all.

۞۞۞

"Natsume! Please take me out!" one girl screamed, clutching her hands to her chest.

"No! Take _me_!" the others screamed.

"Ruka!" other girls yelled. "I'd love to take care of your pets for you!"

"I'm very interested in animals, Ruka! I would be honored to spend some time in the barn with you!"

"Natsume!"

"I am _so _in love with you, Natsume!"

"I'd go anywhere with anyone of you!"

The seventeen-year-old Sumire Shouda effortlessly shoved them away, gasping as she finally pulled herself out of the horde of fan girls. "Back off! He's mine!" She turned to Natsume, batting her eyelashes beautifully. The seven years that had gone by hadn't at all changed her feelings towards the most sough-after young men in the academy, and she was still a devoted Natsume-Ruka admirer. Time did nothing to soften her dangerous temper, and almost everyone who knew her agreed that she was even snottier than she had been when she was younger.

At that moment, she was feeling rather confident that she would get Natsume's attention. She didn't know why it was so, but the other fan girls seemed more agitated than usual, and as a fan of both Natsume and Ruka she felt somewhat obliged to match their excitement. "Right, my _darling_?" She then sighed like a lover, earning a glare from the dark-haired young man from across the room. "See? Natsume looked at _me_!"

Natsume grunted, glaring at the female population with annoyance. "Tch," he hissed, his eyes falling on the wall clock. "I knew it was a mistake to be here."

Ruka grimaced in agreement. The fan girls seemed even more restless today, and he wondered could possibly be up. _What's their problem? They're usually less crazy than this, _he thought, realizing that he didn't even know why he and his friend were even there to begin with. Both of them hated the lunchroom (and the fan girls in it), and he had been surprised when Natsume asked him to have lunch there that afternoon. "Natsume –" he started, only to pause when he noticed the crowd calm down; like someone commanded them to.

_Huh?_

"Get out of my way," a black-haired, rather pretty high school girl amongst the fan girls ordered. Unbelievably enough, the other girls made way for her, so that in no time at all she was staring at Sumire in the eye. "And who might you be?"

Sumire raised her eyebrows at the other girl's uninterested tone. The nerve of this person to look _bored _while talking to her! "Sumire Shouda, the president of _the_ Natsume-Ruka fan club," she snapped. "More importantly, who are _you_?"

"Sumire Shouda?" the girl repeated, the lack of expression in her face almost scary. She gave a mirthless half-smile, her dark blue eyes appraising Sumire with a mixture of smugness and dark amusement. "My apologies. I don't think I've heard of you before."

"_What_?" Sumire asked disbelievingly, feeling slightly insulted. _Who has never heard of the president of the Natsume-Ruka fan club? _ She eyed the other girl belittlingly. "Don't worry; I've never even _seen_ you before today myself."

The girl cocked her head to one side. "Of course you haven't. I've only been here for a couple of months, and I've been busy mastering my alice."

She gave a slight nod, her pale features only accented by her short black hair. The careful, calculated look in her blue eyes gave the impression of cunning beyond her years, like she knew so much more than she should.

Despite herself, Sumire thought that the girl was too proud and too sensible to be a fan girl of Natsume.

"I'm Mina Morisato," the girl finally said, handing a small card to Sumire as she did. "Here."

Sumire took it, furrowing her eyebrows as soon as she read what it said.

**Mina Morisato**

**President**

**Official Natsume Fan Club**

"_Official_?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in astonishment. "What made it official? Mine is the official one!" _That's not true, but who cares?_ she thought. It was bothersome; she was sure she had vaguely heard of this before, but it was far from a club with IDs and a president. "I thought this club fell apart many years ago?"

Mina only shrugged, adjusting the fan club I.D. as she clipped it back on her necktie. "Let's just say I put it back together, then," she said, and without waiting for her response, started walking over to where Natsume was. "I would be very interested to have you in our club, Miss Shouda. We're always open to new members, after all."

"Why you…" Sumire growled indignantly. Unfortunately, the young woman had already walked past her to where Natsume was, followed by a horde of squealing fan girls. "Don't get close to Natsume!"

۞۞۞

"Oh, and will you look at that," Natsume said, his expression turning just a bit grimmer by the second. "One of them is approaching."

The dark-haired girl stopped a few paces from their table, giving a stern smile to Ruka in particular. "I apologize, Ruka Nogi. Our club is particularly interested in the Black Cat, and I didn't mean to bother you, too, with all this." She paused, and added: "I should warn you, however, that the Official Ruka Fan Club president has also been making plans of talking to you herself."

Natsume huffed, noticing the unease that the remark caused his best friend. "So what does your stupid club want from either of us?" he asked, getting to his feet as he felt his patience slipping away.

The young woman met his gaze squarely. "Please don't call it stupid, Natsume Hyuuga. It is, after all, all about you," she said, holding up an I.D. that almost made him swear in incredulity. "I'm Mina Morisato, the president of the Official Natsume Fan Club. I'm here to invite you to a dinner the club has prepared for you."

Natsume only stared at her, clenching his jaw at the insanity that his fan girls were subjecting him to. And what the hell made that fan club official? Did he approve of it or something? "A dinner?"

Mina gave a slow nod, steady and perfectly calm under his glare. "We're celebrating the club's seventh year within the next eight weeks, and the members are hoping that you'll honor the celebration by dining with us." A dark smile fell on her lips. "As the club president, I'm asking you on their behalf."

Ruka was shaking his head at the preposterousness of it all. "Natsume, let's just get out of here," he whispered, noticing the dangerous frown on his best friend's lips. "I'm sure they'll understand that you have no time for this… thing."

Natsume shook his head, his gaze never leaving Mina's. "I've long lost my patience when it comes to them and all these schemes that they keep on pulling to get to us both, Ruka," he said, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "I can't stand them bothering us everyday."

The Black Cat stared over to the rest of the female population. "I think It's time we make them realize they should stop this nonsense."

۞۞۞

"Excuse us!" Mikan said as she, Yuu, and Hotaru made their way to the lunchroom's door. The place seemed more crowded as minutes passed by, which was rather unfortunate for her, considering she still to cram her homework due next period. "Please, let us through – " she repeated, only to squeal when the girls from one side shoved her – _hard_.

"_Ow_!" she yelped, landing on her butt with a loud _thud! _"That hurt! What did you do that for?" she started, caressing her back when she realized that she had been shoved so hard that she landed on a sort of clearing – where the object of the crowd's attention was apparently standing.

"Natsume!" she exclaimed, quickly pulling herself up despite the twinge in her back. "What's happening here?" she demanded, only to pause when she realized the answer to her own question. "Oh."

"Are you all right, Mikan?" a gentle voice asked, prompting a smile on her face when she saw that it was Ruka, standing a few paces away from Natsume.

"I'm all right, Ruka," she assured, smiling through her grimace. "Don't worry about me," she said, distracted by the fact that Natsume was very close. Hah, there was just no way she'd miss this chance to get back at him for this morning. "Oh, and will you look at that, Natsume! So many girls are surrounding you! I bet all of this is getting to your arrogant little head again, huh?"

Natsume shot her an irritated look, as if telling her to shut up. _No way I will! _ she thought, only then taking notice of the dark-haired young woman that he seemed to be talking to. She started toward the girl, halting her tracks when she saw what was written on the other girl's I.D. "You actually have a fan club?" she asked in incredulity.

Just what the hell did these girls see in the arrogant, heartless pervert that was Natsume Hyuuga?

"Lookie here," she heard Natsume tell his fan girls, sounding so pissed off that Mikan had to think twice about annoying him in front of so many people. "I don't have time for this."

"And why is that?" the girl asked, her pretty face so calm and devoid of emotion it almost made Mikan flinch.

"It's because I already have a girlfriend," Natsume said as he suddenly put an arm around Mikan's shoulders. "Here she is. And you're making her _really jealous_."

**…to be continued…**

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So yeah, this is a product of my boredom. It's my _first_ attempt at NatsumeMikan. I'm not a fan of the pairing; I'm actually more interested in RukaHotaru and Narumi and Noda. Oh well. It doesn't hurt to try something new, does it? :D

**Hilaire  
05.15.07**


	2. The Incredulous and the Presumptuous

Thank you for reading and leaving a review. :)

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**Chapter Two**

**The Incredulous and the Presumptuous**

The moment Mouchu and Koko stepped inside the lunchroom, they immediately noticed the silence that had fallen over the place. It was one of the busiest spots in the whole academy, and finding it still and quiet was highly unusual. Everyone was clustered around something, and nobody was moving.

The world seemed to have quite literally stopped, in that moment in time.

"How odd," Koko said, smiling like it the scene before him was the most natural thing in the world. Years which had gone by hadn't been able to change his relaxed manner, even the slightest. "It's even more quiet here than in the library – " he remarked, and earned a slap in the head from Mouchu. "Ow."

"Can't you see there's something wrong?" his friend snapped, looking over to the rest of the lunchroom curiously. Everybody was agape towards a certain direction, like a momentous instant in history had just been made right before their very eyes.

Scratching his head, Mouchu jumped to try and see what was going on, but with no luck: The crowd had grown too thick for him to see from where he was. "I wonder what happened to everyone."

Koko shrugged indifferently. "Hello?" he called out, the stupid smile on his face unfaltering.

Only the echo of his voice greeted him back.

"This is getting creepy," Mouchu whispered to him with a grimace. "Hello!" he yelled, much louder and much more forceful.

This time everyone stirred, turning to them with a dangerous glare.

The two stepped back, scared. It seemed they interrupted something very, _very_ important.

"Uh…okay, go on looking," Mouchu said quickly, not wanting to die just yet. The students, especially the girls, certainly appeared ready to strangle someone right then and there. "Can't you read their minds?" he whispered to his friend.

Koko focused and was silent. He poked his temples, as if trying to squeeze information from there. "Uh… wait… no, I can't read their minds," he said, smiling widely despite the situation.

"What?" Mouchu exclaimed. "What do you – ?" he was cut short when he felt someone tapping his shoulders. He turned to look and saw Anna and Nonoko. "Huh?"

"Hey, you guys," they greeted. "What happened here?"

He shook his head. "Damned if we know." He pointed to Koko. "He can't even read their minds."

"That's so weird," Nonoko said. "You think something big happened?"

"Their minds are blank," Koko explained. "No nothing. Whatever it is they witnessed – or heard – it surprised them completely." He paused and rolled his eyes the way people did when they thought of something. "Wait – " He clutched at his temples again. "Uh…"

"What is it?" they asked, looking at him expectantly. They leaned in close to him, their curiosity building up. "You've got anything?"

He nodded absentmindedly, eyes at the ceiling. "I've got a handful." He almost looked like he was spacing out; a sign that he, too, was shocked of whatever it was that he read in the minds of the other students.

"Is it really stunning, what they saw?" Mouchu asked.

Koko nodded again. Then, as if just an afterthought, he added, "Did you guys know that Mikan is Natsume's girlfriend?"

Anna, Nonoko, and Mouchu gaped at him.

"You're _kidding_."

۞۞۞

Silence.

Mikan stared at Natsume with wide, confused eyes. That her mind suddenly went blank would be the biggest understatement of the millennium.

More silence.

Hotaru put a hand over her lips as if in a mimicry of surprise, although her eyes remained unreadable. Beside her, in complete contrast to her calm, stood Yuu, his glasses having fallen on his nose because of the disclosure's intensity.

Even more silence.

Ruka felt his hands drop at his sides, the rabbit that had been in his hold completely forgotten when he realized what his best friend just said.

Girlfriend.

_Girlfriend?_

Where did that come from?

Nobody uttered a word. In that moment, in Alice Academy, time seemed to have stopped.

Mikan was the one who snapped out of it first, shattering the eerie silence that had fallen over the place. "Girlfriend?" she cried, her voice echoing throughout the lunchroom. She fixed her brown eyes at Natsume, horrified and incredulous at the same time. "What are you talking about, Natsume?" she demanded, trying to get his arm off of her shoulders.

She, Mikan Sakura, was Natsume Hyuuga's _girlfriend_?

_Since when? _her mind screamed. Was he _joking_?

"Girlfriend?" the girls and boys chorused, their tone dripping with utmost doubt. The girls looked at each other and erupted with a million comments and questions. Most, however, weren't satisfied with that. They glared at Mikan with resentment. One glance at them and one could effortlessly fathom their idea: bloodbath**.**

"Shut up, polka dot," Natsume whispered to Mikan, his gaze not leaving the high school student he was talking to.

"Why you!" she said, realizing what he had just called her. First, he introduced her as his girlfriend, and next he was calling her polka dot! "How dare you!"

Mina Morisato arched an eyebrow. "Girlfriend?" she repeated softly. The faint semblance of a smile lingered in her lips, like it was something she had mastered over the years. There was a flicker of amusement in her eyes, but she was certainly not surprised by Natsume's little confession. Unlike the rest of the female population, she even looked like she had been expecting this. "The famous used-to-be no star, Mikan Sakura," she said, eyeing Mikan in a belittling manner. "Very interesting. Are you telling me, Natsume Hyuuga, that you, a brilliant and powerful top star, have someone like _her_ as your girlfriend?"

The stress on _her _which referred to _her_ annoyed Mikan to a certain extent, and her ever uncontrolled temper got the better of her. "What's wrong with being a no star? It's not a crime! And I have two stars now. I earned them," she said, proud of her achievement.

"How simplistic," Mina remarked, obviously not caring if Mikan had two stars; on her uniform were three, after all.

"Simplistic!" Mikan repeated indignantly. "I don't think you have the right to ridicule everyone who has fewer stars than you do! You just want to feel superior and think that having more stars gives you license to mock others!" she added.

Mina narrowed her eyes, still managing to look indifferent despite the action. "Please don't take it the wrong way, Miss Sakura," she said, sounding so perfunctorily apologetic it was scary. "I only meant to point out how… _interesting _ I find it that someone as simple as you are could be the Black Cat's girlfriend."

Mikan felt her jaw fall at this, pretty certain that Mina had just insulted her despite the courteous manner that the girl had said her comment. She parted her lips to speak, but Natsume beat her to it.

"I don't see anything wrong with that," he said, his manner equally unruffled. Mikan could only gape at him as he spoke, disbelief written all over her face at his words. The idiot who was claiming her to be his girlfriend actually agreed with Mina!

Before she could breathe a word, he pulled her close to him, much to her chagrin. All the girls around them gasped. They threw Mikan another set of deadly glares. Unequivocally, there was going to be bloodbath. "She's _already_ my girlfriend, after all."

Mikan nearly snapped, still unable to grasp what was happening. Unthinkingly, she started to break free of Natsume's strangely warm embrace, cringing when she realized what she was feeling. "Let me go, Natsume," she hissed, only to regret it as soon as she saw Mina lift an eyebrow.

"Miss Sakura doesn't quite act like a girlfriend, does she, Black Cat?" Mina said.

"Of course I do not!" Mikan exclaimed, giving up on her feeble attempt to break free. "That's _ridiculous_! I'm _not_ Natsume's girlfriend!" she insisted, glowering at Natsume. _What is he talking about? Girlfriend? No way!_

Everyone stopped short upon this, suddenly unsure what to believe. Natsume was saying that Mikan was his girlfriend. Mikan was claiming _not _to be Natsume's girlfriend.

Which was which?

Mina cocked her head to one side curiously, staring at Mikan for a moment longer before shifting her gaze to Natsume. "Oh?" she prompted, studying the young man with a calculating glint in her eyes.

"Of course she is," he said without hesitation. Mikan turned to him in exasperation, ready to give another him another run of lecture about lying. "The only reason she's denying me now is because you're making her terribly _jealous_." He scoffed, like it was the most frustrating thing in the world. "How troublesome."

"Wait, _what_?" Mikan exclaimed, for a second there disbelieving what she just heard. She stared at Natsume like he had gone mad, and found out, quite interestingly, that he looked perfectly sane. "Stop this, Natsume. I'm denying you – !"

"I know, I know," Natsume interrupted, looking rather upset as he shoved a hand inside his pocket in irritation. "We really should have told everyone of our relationship much earlier, shouldn't we have?"

Mikan could only gasp in shock.

۞۞۞

"This is unacceptable!" Sumire screamed, stomping her feet from where she stood.

She couldn't believe it. There was _no way_ that Mikan Sakura could be Natsume's girlfriend! The two of them hated each other! Natsume always sent her running when he set her hair on fire, and Mikan more than irritated him with her childish naïveté!

Much to her surprise, Natsume actually threw a glance in her direction. "Why not?"

"Because!" she said. "You dislike each other – _hate _each other, even! There's no way you'd be, uh…" she faltered, but what the hell, it needed to be said, "_lovers_!"

Her choice of word only made every girl in the lunchroom more infuriated.

"What made you so sure we hate each other?" Natsume casually asked, the smirk on his lips suggesting that he wasn't about to lose this silly little argument they were having.

She was immobilized by the question. "Well – " She bit her lip, a million reasons running through her mind, their blatant obviousness rendering her speechless. Everything was so clear and straightforward it was hard to explain! "Y-You always fight! You burn her hair; you always tease her and she always argues incessantly with you – and – and – "

Narumi scoffed, his lips curling up in a small smirk. "Don't tell me it actually fooled you?"

Sumire gasped, and with her the rest of the female population.

Because it did. Damn it, but it _did._

۞۞۞

Hotaru gave her shutter another click, and looked over her shoulder to her friends. Without even a pause to respond to their querying stares, she walked over to Koko, looking up at him sternly. "I'm going to take away your alice for the time being," she told him him, slapping a gilt bracelet around his right wrist. "This bracelet will electrify you if you even attempt to use your alice."

Koko blinked, the stupid smile on his lips unwavering. "Got it."

"Hotaru…?" Yuu muttered uncertainly. Behind him, the curious Anna and Nonoko, together with the stupefied Mouchu, stared at her with a mixture of confusion and wonder.

The somber genius only shook her head. "Let's just see it unfold as it should," she said, and turned back to her work.

۞۞۞

_Hah, _Natsume thought smugly. He fixed his eyes on Mina, silently challenging her to a war of patience and calm. "Any further questions?" he asked, feeling pretty damn sure that the young woman wouldn't dare say anything now what he had already told everyone about his girlfriend.

Mina only gave a quiet smile, her stubborn composure unnerving him to some extent. She met his gaze squarely, unshaken by anything that he had told her thus far. "One last thing, Natsume Hyuuga," she started, a smirk falling on her lips as one of the girls behind her whispered something to her.

He narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"

She raised her head, her expression unchanging. "Proof," she said. "The rest of the fan club wishes to see proof that Miss Mikan Sakura really is your girlfriend." She turned away almost disinterestedly. "Most of the girls aren't quite convinced of this little… _disclosure_, and they want proof."

"Isn't it enough that _I'm_ the one telling you about it _now_?" he said, the dangerous edge to his tone highlighted by his glare in her direction. Gracious, what the hell kind of proof did they want now? This was seriously getting more and more ridiculous by the second.

"Just one proof, Black Cat," Mina said instead. "One proof, and the girls will give it a rest."

"Natsume…" he heard Mikan whisper. He was still holding her in a firm embrace, the magnitude of the situation leaving her frozen where she stood. She pressed a hand against his chest, looking up at him with those bewildered brown eyes.

"It's not true," she mumbled, shaking her head weakly. "You can't offer any evidence that doesn't exist…"

He scoffed at this remark, looking over to his fan girls with a cocky smirk on his lips. "Let's just humor them a little, shall we?" he said, pulling Mikan closer to him. "If it's proof they want, then it's proof we'll give them."

He turned back to the young woman in his arms, cupping her chin so that they were staring at each other evenly. "N-Natsume…" she whispered hoarsely, the uncertainty all too evident in her innocent brown eyes. "W-What are you going to do…?"

He gave her an arrogant little smirk. "Make your wish come true, of course," he said, and without letting her breathe a word of protest, bent down and claimed her lips.

**…to be continued…**

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Feedback is always appreciated. :)

**Hilaire  
05.28.07**


	3. Different Game, Different Rules

This is my favorite chapter thus far. :D

* * *

**"The only winning move is not to play."**  
- Game Wars

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**Different Game, Different Rules**

For the second time within that hour, there was only silence.

Everyone in the lunchroom could only gape at the Black Cat, too stunned to even manage a word. It would almost seem like the entire world stopped for a second right there, considering the gravity of the situation.

Standing far back, Yuu felt his glasses fall on his nose. "_Oh_."

Beside him, Hotaru gave the shutter a final click before moving the camera away from her eyes. She stared at the kissing couple silently, her expression unchanging. It was only until her gaze fell on a certain blond young man that her eyes seemed to narrow, and yet even then she remained impassive.

"What an idiot," she whispered.

۞۞۞

While Natsume's eyes were closed, Mikan's were _wide_ open.

_What the heck is he doing? _her mind screamed. She blinked several times, trying to check if this was reality or not. She wanted to weep aloud when she realized that it was - bingo! - reality! _I hate you, you meanie! _she thought furiously.

Instinctively, she began pushing him away. _Get away! And stop kissing me! _She parted her lips, hoping that this act would express her protest.

Oops.

It was too late when she realized she made the wrong move. _Oh, no! I'm not supposed to do that! You aren't supposed to part your lips if you don't want to be kissed!_

Natsume's kiss just deepened, much to Mikan's mortification.

_Natsume Hyuuga! I swear you'll pay dearly for this!_

۞۞۞

_What happened to her? _Natsume thought as he put an end to the kiss. He gazed at Mikan, slightly confused. She wasn't trying to break free anymore, which was strange, because considering her hysterical personality, he expected her to push him all throughout the kiss and scream bloody murder.

So what happened?

"Hey, polka dot – " He stopped short when he saw that her eyes were closed. "Huh?" He pulled away, but her head only slumped against his chest.

He blinked, just as realization dawned on his face.

_She fainted_, he thought, not knowing how to react. Of all the things that could happen, why did she _faint_?

The young man nearly ran a hand over his face, feeling tempted to laugh despite the situation. _She fainted, huh?_

He amused himself with the thought for a short while, and would have kept at it much longer if he didn't realize how everyone's eyes were on him. He frowned, remembering the reason for kissing the brunette in his arms. _How do I explain this? _

He made a quick assessment of the place. Everyone was frozen where they stood, and all were looking at him and his unconscious _sweetheart_. He turned his gaze back to Mikan, his mind trying to come up with something to say.

"She's sick."

Natsume raised his eyes to see Hotaru approaching them, her composure almost enviable. Her piercing amethyst-colored eyes seemed to tell him that he should just agree with what she was saying. "Sick?" he repeated, holding Mikan close to him, deciding to play along. If there anyone who gained his respect with her genius, it would be Hotaru Imai.

"She hasn't been feeling well since this morning, but she insisted on attending our classes," Hotaru said, in a voice audible for everyone to hear. "I guess this little revelation worried her more than it should. We should take her back to her room now, so she can rest."

He nodded in agreement, thankful to have an excuse to leave. "Of course." In a swift movement, he scooped up Mikan into his arms, letting her head rest against his chest. He turned to the rest of the students inside the lunchroom, glaring at them. "There's your proof," he said, his gaze falling on a certain dark-haired beauty.

Mina Morisato gave a small smile, looking unimpressed. "I'm honored to meet your girlfriend, Black Cat," she said, although the blandness of her tone seemed to disagree with her words. Without waiting for his response, she turned on her heel to face the members of the fan club. "Girls, I hope _that_ answered your question."

Natsume shook his head, realizing that the girls were still too stunned to utter any complaint. He glanced in Hotaru's direction. "Let's go," he said, followed by a nod to a bewildered Ruka.

"R-Right," Ruka said, walking up to him at once.

The three of them started for the door, with Hotaru leading them while Ruka falling into step beside his best friend. "N-Natsume - I hope you don't mind me asking, but… since when has Mikan been your girlfriend?" he whispered, throwing a worried glance at the unconscious girl in Natsume's arms.

"Patience, Ruka," Natsume only muttered, refusing to meet his friend's eyes. "I'll explain once we get out of here."

۞۞۞

"So," a young woman of nineteen started, taking a sip of her fruit juice, "how did things go?" She glanced at the person seated opposite her, elevating an eyebrow when she noticed the girl's thoughtful stance.

Mina was staring over at the horizon, contemplative. "It turns out that Natsume Hyuuga already has a girlfriend," she said. "He introduced her a while ago, when I invited him to our anniversary."

"Girlfriend?" the other girl repeated, unable to keep the surprise from her voice. "Natsume Hyuuga has a girlfriend?" She narrowed her eyes, her incredulity all too evident in her pretty face. She was a loyal admirer of Natsume herself, and she prided herself with the fact that she knew him much more than anyone else in his fan club could possibly claim to. It was certainly the first time that she heard something about this supposed girlfriend. "That's _impossible_."

"Apparently it isn't," Mina answered, staring up at the cherry blossom tree to her left before finally turning her gaze to the young woman with her. "He introduced her to the club a while ago." She took a sip of her own drink. "Most didn't believe him, so he kissed her in front of everyone to prove it."

A gnawing feeling of resentment overcame the other girl. "He _kissed _ her?" she muttered. "He kissed her in front of the entire school?" She let her lips press into a thin line when Mina affirmed this with silence, and she narrowed her eyes. "Do you believe him?"

Mina stirred her drink with a straw, meeting the impatient violet eyes of the young woman seated before herself. "I don't think that's important, Kagami."

The other girl scoffed at the answer. "But what do you plan to do?"

She shrugged. "Nothing."

"_Nothing? _ What kind of answer is that?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes in incredulity. "You're the president of our fan club but you plan to do nothing to get that girl away from Natsume? Do you know just furious how the other members will react once they learn about this?" She turned away from Mina with a huff. "And they all thought you'd make a better president."

If she was annoyed by this snide remark, Mina didn't show it. She remained quiet, giving no reaction at all. Instead she studied the I.D. that was clipped on to Miyuki's brown uniform. It said:

**Miyuki Kagami**

**Vice-President**

**Official Natsume Fan Club**

"I've always been better than you, Kagami," she said, and gave a small, mocking smile.

"Don't patronize me!" Miyuki snapped, narrowing her eyes in irritation. She knew for a fact that Mina had uttered the remark not as a retort to the insult, but only said it because she took pleasure in telling Miyuki just how she would always be second to her.

Miyuki raised her chin, refusing to admit defeat. "What's the name of Natsume's girlfriend?"

"Mikan Sakura."

At the words, Miyuki rose from her seat, pushing away her glass of drink. "While you busy yourself doing nothing, I'll take over the club and do something about this Mikan Sakura." She paused, prompting Mina to look up at her and meet her pair of earnest blues. "And don't you dare tell me what to do, Morisato." She flashed Mina a contemptuous smirk before sauntering off.

Mina watched Miyuki leave, turning her attention to her drink as soon as the girl was out of her sight. "Do as you wish," she whispered.

۞۞۞

"I hate you, Natsume!"

It took Mikan a few seconds to realize that she had just roused from a light slumber. She sat up suddenly, noticing she wasn't in the lunchroom anymore. "Huh?" She studied her surroundings. The room she was in was big and elegant, with its rich red wallpaper and matching red carpet. She was lying on a soft, queen-sized bed that was not hers. To her left was a tall bookshelf filled with thick encyclopedias and reference materials, while to her right was a computer. This was Hotaru's room, if she wasn't mistaken. "How did I get here…?"

"You passed out and I had to carry you here," a voice replied.

She turned to its direction, surprised to realize that she had company. She felt her jaw fall at the sight of no one else but Natsume Hyuuga. He was standing at the foot of the bed, his right hand in his pocket. "Natsume! What are you doing inside Hotaru's room? And how come I'm here?"

"You were out cold," Hotaru said from another corner of the room. She handed her friend a glass of water. "Here, drink this." She turned to Natsume. "I'll step outside so the two of you can talk."

"Hotaru, don't leave me here with him!" Mikan called out, clutching the glass of water to her chest. Being with Natsume was the last thing she wanted.

"It's best that you sort this out by yourselves, Mikan," Hotaru said, without even a glance at her best friend. She opened the door, went out, and closed it again.

"Hotaru!" Mikan yelled after her helplessly. How could her friend leave her with Natsume? Didn't Hotaru realize that Natsume was the last person she wanted to see? "I hate you!" she added, although she knew it was futile. She couldn't hate Hotaru even if she tried, and it wasn't as if the threat bothered Hotaru to begin with.

She turned to the Black Cat with a frown. "You can get out now. We don't have anything to talk about," she told him stiffly, trying to hide the growing uneasiness she was feeling. _Of all people, why am I left with him?_

He cocked one eyebrow at her. "You're supposed to be sick. I should be here to watch over you."

"Sick? Why did I pass out, anyway?" she muttered distractedly. She drank the water Hotaru gave her, and almost choked on it when she remembered what had happened. "You – you _kissed_ me!" she exclaimed.

Natsume flinched. "Can't you say anything without screaming? You're destroying my hearing." He sat on the couch, regarding her with cold, nonchalant eyes.

"And why wouldn't I scream?" she asked angrily, standing up from the bed. She put down the glass of water and exclaimed: "You kissed me! Don't you realize that? You _kissed_ me!"

"Didn't you enjoy it?" he asked casually.

She was mortified by the question. "E-enjoy… enjoy it… did I _enjoy _ it…?" She clenched her fists. "You think I enjoyed it?" She was trembling, trying to control her temper. "You stole it! You stole my kiss! My _first_ kiss, you meanie!"

Natsume shrugged. "It was just a kiss."

"But it was my first! Don't you know how important a first kiss is to a girl?" she argued persistently. "And you did it in front of the entire school, too! How dare you!" She almost felt like crying over this realization.

"It's just fitting that I get your first kiss," Natsume said, unsympathetic to her plight. "You're my girlfriend, after all."

Mikan stomped her feet at this, although it barely made a sound against the carpeted floor. "That! Why did you do that? What's gotten into you? Why did you tell them I'm your girlfriend?"

"Because you _are_."

"You know very well I'm not!"

"You are, now."

"_What_?" She furrowed her eyebrows at him, feeling her patience wearing thin. "Natsume, if this is your idea of a joke, let me just tell you that I don't find it funny. _At all_. I'm not your girlfriend, and you have no right to kiss me like that!" She paced, her expression tense. Just what was he thinking of?

"This isn't a joke," Natsume said sternly, his face impassive. "You're my girlfriend, and I have the right to kiss you any time I want to." He spoke like what he was talking about was some sort of general truth or something.

Mikan wanted to pull her hair out in frustration. "I don't understand! Could you please tell me what's happening? Since when did I become your girlfriend?"

"You became my girlfriend about thirty minutes ago," Natsume said, casually throwing one leg over another as he smirked at her.

Mikan gasped. "I don't recall agreeing to that!"

"You don't have to," he said. "It doesn't matter, and I don't care either way."

"Why you – "

"Let me finish, will you?" Natsume asked, flashing the slightest of frowns. Unwillingly she bit her lip so he could continue.

"It's quite simple. You're my girlfriend because I hate being stalked by those girls. You're the diversion. They're going to focus their attention to you. And I can finally have some peace and quiet," Natsume explained briefly, each word spoken with a hint of boredom.

Mikan slapped her forehead, finding his so-called 'explanation' unbelievably absurd. "That's _it_? You introduced me as your girlfriend just because you wanted to get rid of your fan girls?" She was fuming again. "Why don't you just deal with them yourself!"

Natsume smirked. "Why should I, when _you _ can do it yourself?"

Mikan gave him an incredulous stare. "Are you _crazy_? I don't even have anything to do with this!"

"Oh?" Natsume intoned. "Thanks to your fainting, you've effectively deprived yourself of the chance to dispute what I told them a while ago." He threw a brief glance at the wall clock to his left. "By this time, the entire school already knows that you're my girlfriend."

Mikan groaned, sitting on the bed in exhaustion. "Why does it have to be me?" she wailed, more to herself than to him.

"Because you're different."

She blinked, raising her head to meet Natsume's gaze. "Huh?" She was different?

Natsume himself looked surprised by what came out of his lips. She could even swear that he avoided her gaze for a moment, but he was quickly back to his uncaring self that she dismissed her idea. It was ridiculous, after all. Natsume couldn't have been complimenting her. "You're not one of them. You don't chase me around."

She sighed and looked at him with a scowl. "You had to kiss me for that reason?"

"They wanted proof."

"Well, you didn't have to give them any!" she argued.

"Then they wouldn't have been convinced."

Mikan groaned, tempted to throw something at the young man across her. She wanted to argue; wanted him to know how stupid this all was; and yet she knew it was futile. Everyone already knew her to be Natsume's girlfriend, and he obviously had no intention of taking back a word that he'd said. "So you're asking me to pretend to be your girlfriend?" she muttered, trying to make sense of what she had gotten herself into. Just what had she done to deserve this?

"I'm _not_ asking you. I'm not even giving you any choice," he told her grimly. "The only answer you can give me is 'yes'."

Mikan gave him a wide-eyed glare. Her life would be a living hell! She knew that his fan girls were vicious, and that they wouldn't hesitate to engage in bloodbath just to get her away from their beloved Natsume. Didn't he know how far his fan girls would go just to be with him?

"It isn't as if you have a choice," Natsume said, and Mikan closed her eyes in defeat. He was right: She had no other choice.

"All right," she said, biting her lip as soon as the words escaped her lips. Oh, but she just knew that she'd regret this in no time at all, this silly game that she had just agreed to play with him.

"Good," Natsume said, a satisfied smirk adorning his features.

"But – " Mikan said, holding up a hand to him. "You have to pay me."

At this Natsume paused, looking like he hadn't expected that. "Pay you?" he asked, elevating an eyebrow at her.

Mikan silently congratulated herself for being so clever, despite the situation. _Everything you do must always require something in return, _she remembered Hotaru telling her. She didn't really want to do it, but Natsume was an exception. "That's for stealing my first kiss, and for the risk I'm going to take in dealing with your fan girls," she told him smugly as she walked up to him.

Natsume huffed. "Fine. Five rabbits a day?"

She furrowed her brows and scowled. "Are you _insane_? That's _cheap_!" What the hell did he regard her as, a genie who'd grant his wishes for free?

"Six?"

_Goodness!_ She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "I can't believe you! It's not as if you don't have a huge allowance every month! 20 rabbits!"

"10."

"18!"

"13."

"17!"

"15," they chorused.

"Done!" Mikan exclaimed before he could change his mind. "15 rabbits a day, starting today." She thought for a moment, feeling as if she was forgetting something. She racked her memories for the usual tricks Hotaru played on her, hoping to get ideas from those. "What else will we need…?"

She found herself snapping her fingers a short while later. "Oh, I know! Rules!"

"Rules?" Natsume said, uttering the word with what seemed to be disgust. Not surprising, considering how much of a troublemaker he was.

"Of course we should have a set of them!" she insisted, holding up her forefinger. "One: You can't kiss me." It looked like he was going to disagree, so she beat him to speaking first. "No arguing, Natsume. Today's kiss… well let's just forget about it, okay?" she muttered, wanting to blush at the mere memory of her stolen first kiss.

"I'll pay you extra for it," Natsume offered with a perverse smirk on his lips, and she glared at him.

"_NO_."

"But what if the situation asks for it?" he persisted, looking like he was enjoying making her uncomfortable.

"Then I'd make sure that the situation will never ask for it!" she said firmly. Hah, but he was dreaming if he thought she'd let him kiss her again! "Next up: You can't ever cheat on me."

He elaborately frowned at this. "Are you _serious_? I'm trying to _get away_ from girls here, if you haven't noticed."

Mikan pouted, realizing how stupid the rule sounded, but refusing to take it back anyway. She didn't know why, but she felt like she needed to make sure. "Let's just agree on that, okay?" she said.

"Fine."

She was holding up three fingers now. "You won't call me polka dot or strawberry. You'll call me Mikan."

"That doesn't have anything to do with anything."

"It has everything to do with everything!" Mikan exclaimed. "What if they find out that you're calling your so-called girlfriend by the prints of her underwear?" she demanded, too caught up in trying to prove her point that she didn't even blink an eye at her own words.

"I should think they'd be more convinced that you really are my girlfriend," Natsume said with a shrug.

"_NATSUME_!"

The young man waved a hand dismissively. "What else?"

"You won't ever leave me with your fan girls." Without thinking, she bent over the couch where he was seated, holding his shoulders nervously. "Promise me that! You just don't know how nasty they can be!"

He looked up at her coldly. "All right," he said. "I promise."

She heaved a sigh of relief, noting how safe she felt when she heard him promise. "Thanks, Natsume," she told him, and took back her hand when she realized that she was still holding onto him. "Sorry," she muttered, feeling awkward. What was she thinking, holding him like that?

Natsume stood up from the couch. "If there's nothing else then I'll go now," he told her. "You need to stay in this room, since you're supposed to be sick."

"Wouldn't you even thank me for agreeing with this stupid plan of yours?" she asked him, scowling as she watched him walk away from her without another word. He couldn't even thank her for being kind to him and agreeing to be his girlfriend! "At least show some appreciation!"

"I'll thank you only after you get those girls away from me."

"How ungrateful!" she told him with a pout, only to stop when she remembered something. "Hey – don't you want this to be on paper or something?" she asked, recalling how Hotaru always used contracts and documents to conduct her business. "It's an agreement, after all."

Natsume gave a low, mocking laughter. "There's no need for papers," he said, without even a glance back to where she was. "It's just a game, after all." He twisted the doorknob. "The game of let's pretend."

Mikan blinked, silenced by his words as she watched him leave. "The game of let's pretend, huh?" she whispered.

**…to be continued…**

* * *

It thrills me that I was able to include the title of this story in this chapter. I really enjoyed writing this, so I hope you had fun reading it as well. :) Review, please!

**Hilaire  
10.28.07**


	4. The Most Impossible Adversary

This was very difficult to write, but I like it. :)

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**The Most Impossible Adversary**

"What are you doing?"

The dangerous tone of Natsume made the curious Ruka, Yuu and Hotaru straighten up. The three had pressed their ears against the door of Hotaru's room, trying to make out what Natsume and Mikan were talking about.

Their persistence proved to be mostly useless, however, as a top star student's room was designed with the utmost consideration for the privacy of its owner. Regardless of this fact, Hotaru was hardly the sort to give up, and the three remained as persistent as hell. They refused to leave the door, even when all they could hear was Mikan's indistinct yelling.

Ruka and Yuu froze. "Uh…" They glanced at each other, too stunned to come up with a decent lie. Neither of them had been prepared to be found out, and definitely not when they had the blackmailing queen with them. "We were… uh… you know… looking at the door…"

Natsume stared intently at them. "With your _ears _?"

In contrast to the two young men with her, Hotaru didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that they had been caught. "We were _eavesdropping_," she answered, bluntly honest. "Now move out of the way. I have to get inside and talk to that idiot." She walked past Natsume, opened the door, and went inside her room. The Black Cat merely grunted, rather admiring the cool way Hotaru evaded more of his questions.

Ruka's and Yuu's jaws fell. How could Hotaru leave them just like that? "Wait, Hotaru!"

Natsume was now looking sternly at them. "Well?"

"Uh, I think I hear the math club calling me. I must have forgotten I have a contest today," Yuu said, laughing awkwardly as he started to take a few steps back. "That's totally forgetful of me. I guess I gotta run, so…. I'll see you guys later!" he added, and walked away from them as casually as he could.

"There's no math club!" Ruka protested, yelling after Yuu.

"Believe me, there is _now_!" Yuu replied as he rounded a corner. In a moment, he was gone from Ruka's and Natsume's sight, leaving the blond young man paler than usual.

Ruka couldn't believe it. How could his friends leave him at a time like this? They were in this together, weren't they? Just how was he going to explain himself to Natsume? "Uh… Natsume… we – err, I… I mean – we meant no harm – we were just very curious… I – "

Natsume just grunted. "You don't have to explain yourself, Ruka."

Ruka's shoulders dropped. "Oh." He felt himself panic, knowing that it would be utterly awkward if he didn't say anything. And so like an idiot that he usually was, he grappled at the air for words, refusing to let silence rule over the two of them. "So – " he muttered, unsure how to start. "Is Mikan okay?" He nearly smacked himself when he realized how stupid the question was. He just brought up the topic that he was trying to avoid in the first place.

Natsume nodded. "She was screaming at me, so I guess she's okay," he said. He paused, raising his gaze so that their eyes met. "I told you I'd explain everything," he said, with utmost earnestness in his voice.

Ruka stiffened, suddenly feeling a lump in his throat. He had been silent ever since they left the lunchroom, partly because he didn't have anything to say, but mostly because he was putting everything together. It hadn't been difficult, and truthfully there was no need for Natsume to give an explanation for what he had done.

That, and Ruka wasn't too sure if he really wanted to hear any of it. Not now, at least.

The young man stared at his friend, cursing himself for being an idiot. He should have known better than to think that Natsume would put off the 'explanation' till another time. Natsume was Natsume, and he did not withdraw from something as important as this one. This needed to be talked about, and it had to be done _now_.

As it would happen, Ruka _was _ Ruka, and not Natsume. Unlike his friend, who possessed an effortless confidence and was always straightforward, Ruka was more indirect, and he refused confrontation. He could never find it in himself to be as upfront as his best friend. Somehow, he would always find a reason to restrain himself from saying too much.

This time, he knew it was exactly because Natsume was his best friend, first and foremost.

And so Ruka shook his head, and gave a smile instead. "You don't have to explain, Natsume."

Natsume was visibly surprised to hear this, and he stopped. "Ruka – "

Ruka shook his head, forcing his smile widen just a little. "It's all right. I know you have your reasons for doing what you did. You don't have to explain yourself to me."

Natsume's jaw clenched, a hint of frustration evident in his expression. "Look, Ruka," he muttered, looking as though he was going through an internal battle with himself. "I know you like her – and I don't plan to take her away from you." For a moment or two the words seemed to leave him, and he inhaled sharply. "It's just that for the time being, she's _mine_."

Ruka blinked, Natsume's words sounding so earnest it rendered him wordless. He watched as his friend walk away, his fists clenched at his sides. It was only when Natsume was gone from his sight that Ruka finally let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He found himself leaning against the wall, breathless from the sudden torrent of emotions in his chest.

"Natsume…"

۞۞۞

Mikan was still lying on the bed when Hotaru entered. Her friend was lazily touching her lips, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Mikan. Get off my bed," she muttered, wondering what sort of trance the idiot must be in.

Mikan looked over to Hotaru, her brown eyes wide with wonder. "You'll be proud of me, Hotaru. I actually picked up something from watching you blackmail Ruka," she cracked, although the cheerfulness in her voice seemed forced.

Hotaru frowned at her. "Stop smiling if you don't feel like it," she muttered, sitting on the bed beside her friend. "Get up or I'll charge you for using my bed." She watched as the threat worked its magic, and Mikan sat up with a pout. "So what should I be proud of you for?"

A genuine smile fell on Mikan's lips at the question. "I got Natsume to pay me fifteen rabbits a day, in exchange for pretending to be his girlfriend," she said, sounding quite proud of herself.

Hotaru felt her eyebrows rise, impressed despite herself. "Not bad for an idiot like yourself."

Mikan grinned, knowing that it was the closest she could get as a compliment from a certain Hotaru Imai. "Uh-huh. I even laid out some rules for us and told him to put our agreement on paper or something, but he only said there wasn't a need to because it's just a game." She furrowed her eyebrows, as if trying to figure out an abstract idea that refused to be understood. "The game of let's pretend."

Hotaru stared hard at her. _The game of let's pretend? _"I hope you realize what you got yourself into, Mikan," she said, making Mikan pause.

The brunette bit her lip, an expression of worry overtaking her features. "I only agreed to be his girlfriend because I had no choice," she muttered. "Those girls already know me as his girlfriend, and he didn't seem to have any plans of taking back anything that he told them." She raised her eyes to Hotaru. "It wouldn't have made much difference if I hadn't agreed, right?"

"I suppose not," Hotaru said. Natsume wouldn't have let Mikan say no, anyway. "So what did he say his reason was for introducing you as his girlfriend?"

Mikan narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, somehow getting the sense that there was more to her friend's question than what was being said. "He said it was just for show, to get rid of his fan girls." She scowled when she remembered her conversation with Natsume. "He said I was a distraction, so they'd give him some peace and quiet."

Hotaru paused, and for a moment or two Mikan almost thought that her friend was finally worried for her. After all, fan girls were not to be taken lightly, and dealing with them could be absolutely fatal. But instead, Hotaru asked: "Did he tell you what his reason was for kissing you?"

Mikan blinked, her cheeks turning scarlet at the question. "H-He said it was only because the girls wanted proof," she said, suddenly feeling unsure of herself. Why did it sound like there was something more about her stolen kiss that she didn't know? She frowned, realizing that despite the seven years that they had known each other, she couldn't really say that she knew who Natsume truly was. He was so detached, so calm, so spontaneous.

He was a big puzzle – and she didn't have all the puzzle pieces.

"How uncreative," Hotaru only said, to which Mikan only smiled, unsure what to say.

"You know," she said, thinking out loud. "I really don't understand why he chose me, when he could have chosen so many others." She grinned as a thought occurred to her. "Like _you_, Hotaru, for example. I mean, it would be easy with your inventions – "

Hotaru darted her a sharp look. "Don't even think about it, you idiot."

Mikan flashed an uncertain grin, realizing that seeing Natsume with Hotaru would seem rather off. "Sorry," she grumbled sheepishly. The two rarely spoke to each other, and the only reason they seemed to acknowledge each other's existence was because they were both somehow connected to her.

Without a word, she let herself collapse onto the bed once more, too caught up in her musings to remember that she would be charged for doing so. "Natsume told me I was different," she said, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Hotaru looked over to her, feeling almost curious. "And what do you think he meant by that?"

Mikan grinned up at her best friend, scratching her head. "I don't really get it, Hotaru."

The next thing that she realized was the pain as Hotaru's Idiot Gun smacked her right on her face.

۞۞۞

"That scheming little… just you watch, Morisato!" Miyuki Kagami furiously whispered to herself, stomping down the hallway without a care to anyone else around. The conversation with the fan club president still left her very upset, and while she knew that Mina was deliberately mocking her to make her feel so, she still couldn't keep her temper from flaring up anyway.

Mina Morisato could simply be _so _ infuriating.

"That arrogant witch! Who does she think she is!" Miyuki growled. "Just because she's the president doesn't mean she can order me around! We're both three-star students, and I'm still the vice-president of the club!" She felt her strides slow down upon the words, until slowly she came to a stop. "Vice-president, huh."

The Official Natsume Fan Club had been founded seven years ago, in response to the arrogant Sumire Shouda's Natsume-Ruka Fan Club. It had started with only about twenty members, and the number had increased only modestly for many years following its establishment. Just like any organization, it was composed of several committees, including its own executive committee, which had the task of making critical decisions for the club.

Members of the executive committee consisted of the president and the vice-president, among several others. Following a democratic rule, members of the club would elect these officers every year, to replace the graduating incumbents.

Miyuki had signed up for the club with the full intention of becoming president. She was grossly fascinated by Natsume Hyuuga, especially considering his reputation as the most prominent member of the Dangerous Ability Class; and she didn't think there would be any harm in joining a club that was exclusively about him.

Dedication was one of the most important things that the club valued, and the chief positions like _president_ and _vice-president _were most usually taken by those who proved themselves committed to the club and its undertakings. With her eyes on the prize, Miyuki had ensured that the time she had spent on the club – from the moment she had signed up for it to last two weeks before the elections – would be productive. She involved herself in the activities, no matter how silly they could be sometimes; and immersed herself in the rare facts and trivia about Natsume Hyuuga himself, and of course, the Dangerous Ability Class.

It would later prove, however, that Miyuki's efforts were a big waste of time.

Two weeks before the elections of officers, the incumbent president, with the approval of the executive committee, declared that for this year, the two main positions would be appointed instead of elected.

Miyuki had been stunned, especially having been all set for the campaign period and the elections. She would have protested against it, but without a pause the incumbent officers had then proceeded to announce her as the vice-president. In the same breath, as if to render her completely voiceless, Mina Morisato was heralded the new president of the club.

"_W-What?" Miyuki sputtered as she felt herself being pushed to the stage for a short recognition. Around her, the present members seemed unconcerned toward the recent development, and were instead cheering her on._

"_You deserve it, Miyuki!" some of them even cheered, to which Miyuki only blinked. She glanced over to the quiet Mina Morisato standing to her far right, her expression dead and unchanging despite everyone's applause. It was only until their eyes met that Mina's features seemed to come alive, and she gave Miyuki a smirk._

"_I look forward to working with you, Miss Vice-President," she said, her eyes seeming to flicker with a hint of dark amusement. _

Miyuki had only stared at her wordlessly at the time, feeling quite certain that the whole thing was a big mistake. _It had to be – _because how exactly could a member of barely two months be appointed as president? Mina had transferred to the Academy only four months ago, and while she immediately signed up for the club and was present in most events, Mina gave the impression that she was simply _bored_. She didn't even seem to be interested in Natsume.

Miyuki had intended to contest the decision of the executive committee, only to be surprised when she realized that no one else seemed to have a problem with it. Even her friends in the club had given her an incredulous look when she expressed her dissenting opinion on the matter, telling her how they thought Mina would do well as president.

The lack of support had put her off, but she was not Miyuki Kagami if she would be dissuaded so easily. Unaccompanied, she walked up to the incumbent president and vice-president instead, who hadn't seemed amused by her boldness.

"_You don't see it, do you?" the incumbent president asked as she stirred her coffee. She propped up her chin in one hand, staring at Miyuki from across the room with a bored expression on her face. "This is exactly why you're not the president, Miyuki."_

_Miyuki stopped, unsure what to make of the words. "What do you mean?" she asked tentatively._

"_Mina is calm and wiser than you," the vice-president said, her eyes strangely glazed over. "It's for this reason that she will make a better president than you, who lets your emotions wreck your rational thoughts."_

Miyuki flinched at the memory, remembering how she had forced a smile upon the remark, despite the drastic buildup of anger in her chest. They were telling her that she was immature – and there was simply no way she would do something so silly to prove them right. In a voice that was strained to keep herself from expressing her fury and indignation, she thanked them for their time and excused herself. She had then stepped out, only to be greeted by Mina who was waiting outside the room.

_The young woman was leaning against the wall, her head tilted up towards the ceiling. "Emotions wreck rational thoughts," she murmured, her hands clasped together behind her. She lowered her head and met Miyuki's gaze, a spark of challenge seeming to flash in her eyes. "Throwing away the vice-presidency, Kagami?"_

Miyuki had glared at Mina quietly, and knew then and there that she wouldn't let the other girl win this game so easily. _"You wish," she snapped. "I'll see you around, Miss President."_

Miyuki sighed, still recalling how difficult it had been to swallow the fact that she would only be second to Mina. She barely knew the girl, having ignored her prior to their appointment. Mina hadn't seemed too keen on what the fan club was doing; she mostly acted like a spectator watching for her own amusement. That the incumbents actually chose her to take over such an important position in the club _and _ that no one else protested against the decision was still beyond Miyuki.

Even now, after several weeks of working with the girl, Miyuki still couldn't find it in herself to be friends with Mina. She found the dark-haired alice too aloof; too mysterious for her taste. Besides, Mina didn't seem like she was interested in making friends either.

Miyuki's thoughts were interrupted when she felt someone tap her shoulders. She turned around and found herself staring at several members of the club, all of them having a resentful expression on their faces. "Natsume's girlfriend?" she greeted, which only seemed to make them frown deeper.

"He kissed her!" one of them whined, and Miyuki cringed.

"That's what I gather," she said.

"You weren't in the lunchroom today, were you?" one girl asked, and handed her a picture. "Here. That's what happened earlier."

Miyuki looked at the photo, feeling her jaw tauten when she realized how the shot perfectly captured the kiss. "So he _did _kiss her," she murmured, memorizing Mikan Sakura's plain features as she spoke. The girl looked so painfully simple it almost hurt. Miyuki hadn't been expecting for Natsume's girlfriend to be so… _ordinary_.

_What has become of the world, exactly?_

"It's so disgusting," one of them muttered with distaste. "What are you going to do now, Miyuki?"

She inhaled, trying to calm herself before speaking. If there was one thing she learned from the annoying Mina Morisato, it was that it was much better to make decisions when you were more calm and composed. "Introduce myself, of course."

۞۞۞

"They should find another hobby," Natsume commented as he and Ruka made their way past clusters of students. Since they left their rooms, the two had been receiving assuming stares from all around them. It made Ruka uncomfortable, while it annoyed Natsume immensely.

"You can't blame them. These girls like you. Yesterday you just announced that you have a girlfriend. It must be a shock," Ruka said quietly. Yesterday's conversation with his friend still bothered him like hell, but he was forcing himself to forget all about it. Natsume was behaving as though nothing had happened, so Ruka had no other choice but to do the same.

"Tch." Natsume narrowed his eyes and stopped walking.

"Natsume?" Ruka asked, confused. He also stopped, his gaze following where his friend was looking at. All he saw where a bunch of giggling girls, and he frowned. "Is something the matter?"

Natsume grunted. "Nothing. Let's go."

۞۞۞

Mikan wasn't even halfway to her classroom but she already wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She had left her room barely ten minutes ago, and the murmurs and curious glances had not once halted. It was less than twenty-four hours after Natsume announced to everyone that she was his girlfriend, but to her it already felt like an entire lifetime. Everyone's stare made her feel quite cursed, and remembering yesterday's stupid deal with Natsume told her that there was no lifting it anytime soon.

_Maybe I should have asked for more than fifteen rabbits a day… _she thought with a grimace. _What I'll be posing as is worth more than what Natsume's going to pay me!_

She glanced around hopefully, trying to block out the other students' disapproving stares as she tried to find at least one familiar face. "Where is everyone?" she murmured desperately, mentally scolding herself for ignoring the good sense that had told her that she should have gone to Hotaru's room first. Hotaru wouldn't have let anyone get away with insulting her best friend; and Mikan highly doubted that anyone would have the nerve to offend her in the genius' presence.

She bit her lip. The demeaning remarks were all around her, and the hate was just too much to bear, even for her.

_You're different._

Mikan frowned, remembering what Natsume had told her. He said it was the reason he had chosen her to be his 'girlfriend'; and while she still didn't understand what he must have meant, it still sounded... _nice_. It was still something to hold on to, amidst all this hate around her.

She heaved a sigh. "I'm different," she whispered, and frowned when she realized that Natsume should have gone to her room to fetch her. After all, wasn't it his unwritten obligation, as her boyfriend? Considering their unusual circumstances, he should have known better than to leave her all by herself.

_And to think he promised he'd never leave me with his fan girls! _ she thought restlessly.

"Mikan Sakura?" a female voice called out, interrupting Mikan's thoughts and prompting her to stop.

Standing opposite her was a girl who looked just about her age, an easy smile gracing her lips. Her dark gray hair was parted in the middle, its wild, straight locks reaching her waist. Her long bangs fell around her face, framing her pretty features in a messy cascade. She was wearing the same uniform as Mikan, indicating that she was also a senior. "I'm Miyuki Kagami," she said, offering her hand as her sharp violet eyes caught hold of Mikan's.

Mikan stared at her. _Who is this girl? _ she thought, reluctantly accepting the girl's hand. "I'm Mikan Sakura," she said, feeling strangely riveted by the girl's eyes. Miyuki's gaze was smoldering and intimidating, giving the impression that she knew something that she shouldn't.

"I'm honored to meet Natsume Hyuuga's girlfriend," Miyuki said, although her tone seemed to suggest otherwise. Her handshake was firm, her stance confident. She eyed Mikan belittlingly as she took back her hand and crossed her arms over chest. "Although, I have to admit that you're not at all what I expected."

Mikan frowned at the remark and parted her lips to retort, but Miyuki beat her to it. "I've worked with Natsume before, so I know him, and I thought I'd get to know his girlfriend."

"Really?" Mikan asked, genuinely surprised this time. Natsume wasn't exactly one of the friendliest persons in Alice Academy, and she had always had the impression that he'd rather set other alices on fire than mingle with them. He hardly talked to people, and while girls were obviously dying to speak with him, he just never seemed to have the time and patience to deal with them.

Miyuki gave a casual shrug. "Uh-huh. It was during – " She stopped in mid-sentence, seemingly distracted as she looked past Mikan. "Speaking of the devil," she said, her eyes narrowing as an amused smirk crept over her lips.

Mikan whirled around, her eyes lighting up when she saw Natsume. The young man was walking toward her, a hand inside his pocket as he regarded the rest of the population with annoyance. "Natsume!" she called out, making him halt his tracks when he saw her. She started for him, only to stop short when Miyuki darted past her to get to him first. "Huh?"

Miyuki took her place beside the flame caster, glancing back to Mikan with a dark smirk on her face. "It's been a while, Natsume."

Natsume nodded. "Miyuki," he greeted curtly.

The next thing Mikan realized was Natsume throwing his arms around Miyuki in an embrace.

**…to be continued…**

* * *

Merry Christmas, everyone! :)

**Hilaire  
12.25.07**

_EDIT: Please go to lingeringdream(dot)webs(dot)com for more information about TGOLP. __**It's important**__, so please go there and meet the OCs for yourself. :)_


	5. The Hitch of Being a Girlfriend

Late update, as always. :)

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**The Hitch of Being a Girlfriend**

Mikan Sakura swallowed, feeling the words catch in her throat upon the sight.

_Is Natsume – is Natsume really – really hugging that Miyuki? _her mind screamed, as if in a refusal to believe what she was seeing.

The young woman blinked twice in succession, the confusion overtaking her thoughts. _Is this some sort of a twisted joke? Natsume just asked me to be his girlfriend _yesterday_! How can he hug another girl _today_? Do they know each other? Could it be possible that he _likes_ her…? Wait, hadn't he told me yesterday that he _doesn't_ like anyone…? _The number of questions that came to her mind was astounding. Completely taken aback, Mikan blinked some more.

It didn't make things any better. Natsume and Miyuki were still there, with the young man embracing the young woman. Miyuki glanced back at Mikan, a smug look on her face.

Mikan shut her eyes, inwardly wishing that the scene before her would vanish when she opened her eyes. _Why is he hugging her? _she thought, feeling… _cheated_. _I told him not to cheat on me, too! How could he? _She didn't like what was _happening_ – and she didn't like what she was _thinking_. An unfamiliar feeling tugged at her chest – pure and raw and real and _nameless _– something that others would have immediately identified to be jealousy.

_I don't care whoever he hugs! _a part of her mind argued. _I swear, I absolutely don't! _she added, and felt even worse when she realized that she couldn't even convince herself. Seeing Miyuki being held like that by Natsume was _exasperating_, and Mikan had always been a terrible liar to begin with. _Hah! Natsume can hug whoever he likes and I wouldn't stop him! I wouldn't even –_

That was when she began to feel really warm, like someone had started a fire nearby. It took her a few seconds to realize that someone _did_ start a fire – and was just about to set her hair aflame. "My hair!" she screamed, grasping her head quickly. "Oh, no - !" She whirled around just to see a grim Natsume looking at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked, extinguishing the fire in his hands. He didn't really do much damage, since he only wanted to get Mikan's attention. He put back his hand in his pocket as he studied his girlfriend carefully. "You look pale."

"N-Natsume!" Mikan exclaimed, her hands falling at her sides, suddenly forgetting about everything else. "How did you get there?" She turned back to the other direction. Miyuki was the only one there, gazing at her sternly. "You… you were there a moment ago, weren't you, Natsume?" Then she clutched her hair. "My hair! How dare you burn my hair after you hug that girl?" she screamed at him as she gestured to Miyuki.

Natsume lifted an eyebrow. "Don't be stupid. I don't hug girls," he muttered, giving a quick glance at Miyuki. The young woman was smirking smugly where she stood, and it took a few moments for the flame caster to realize that he had heard about her and her curious alice before.

He glanced back at Mikan, suddenly amused. "You must be seeing things."

"No, I'm not! You were hugging her! You – " Mikan stopped. What was happening to her? She was beginning to sound like a _real_ girlfriend! She shouldn't even be taking it seriously! But here she was, confused and feeling cheated when she saw him hug Miyuki. Something was wrong with her. And what was with Natsume? He looked… _amused_? She noticed Ruka standing beside him. "When did you get there? You weren't there when I saw Natsume!"

Ruka looked taken aback. "W-What? I've been here the whole time," he said, smiling uncertainly. "Natsume and I always go to class together" he explained.

"Really?" Mikan asked, surprised. Students were already throwing her quizzical looks, like they didn't know what she was talking about. "But…" _Ugh! _This was all so very confusing! If it wasn't Natsume that she saw, then could it be that it was an alice…? "I mean… are you sure you didn't hug her?" she asked Natsume, just to make sure. Well, she couldn't just dismiss what she saw! It seemed so real!

"I'm sure."

Mikan breathed a sigh of relief, putting a hand on her chest. "I'm glad to hear that." Her head shot up when she realized what she said aloud._ Did I just tell him that I'm _glad_ he didn't hug her? _"Uh… I mean…" She didn't know just what to say next. When she looked at Natsume, she saw him staring right back at her carefully, as if trying to figure out.

Trying to dismiss her bewildered thoughts, Mikan turned to Miyuki, feeling the embarrassment color her cheeks. She should really stop saying stupid things!"Natsume doesn't know you," she said instead, trying to regain her calm.

Miyuki arched a brow, her arms still crossed over her chest. "I said _I _ know Natsume; _not _ that he knows me." She took a set toward the Black Cat. "Natsume Hyuuga," she greeted. "It seems your girlfriend is not fake."

"Who told you otherwise?" Natsume said.

Mikan frowned at the very calm way that Miyuki introduced herself. "What was it that I saw? Was it your alice?" she demanded, now convinced of her theory about Miyuki's alice. It had to be some sort of illusion alice.

Miyuki tapped Mikan's shoulders, giving the brunette a smug little smile. "Mikan Sakura, what you saw were your _fears_," she whispered darkly, letting her smile twist into a smirk. "It's all very interesting. I'll see you around."

۞۞۞

"Miyuki Kagami?"

Mikan nodded. She and Yuu Tobita were in the classroom, where they were waiting for their teacher to arrive. Mikan thought she should ask Hotaru about the girl, but her friend was nowhere in sight, so she turned to Yuu for help instead.

She quickly narrated what had happened earlier. "And when I asked her about it, she simply told me that what I saw were my fears," she told her friend, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "I just don't get it! Do you know anything about her, Yuu? What does she mean by my fears?"

Yuu looked a bit uncertain. "Well, I know only one Miyuki Kagami in the Academy. I think she's roughly two years older than we are – about nineteen, I think – and she has _almost_ the same alice of illusion as mine." He hesitated. "And, uh…"

"What's the matter, Yuu? What do you mean by _almost_ the same alice?" She looked carefully at her friend. "Is there a problem?"

Yuu gave an uncomfortable laugh. "Well, her alice is not quite illusions. And she used to be a latent-dangerous."

Mikan was confused. "Latent… dangerous…? What do you mean?"

"Her alice fits both the latent and the dangerous type," he said. "Miyuki has known how to use her alice even before entered the Academy. So she used it to play with everyone's thoughts and imagination."

He shook his head. "Students complained about what she was doing. They said that it was cruel of her to play mind games with them. Sometimes they got so caught up in what they were seeing that when it ended, they didn't know just what had already happened in reality or where they really were."

"Scary…" Mikan remarked, grimacing in her seat.

"The principals warned her about it, but they didn't do anything. Latent types aren't dangerous, and she belongs in this class. So they presumed she wasn't doing any harm at all."

Yuu shifted in his seat. "It all changed when she used her alice on the friend of a principal – Reiko, from Class B. Reiko has always been asthmatic, and when Miyuki used her alice on her , it triggered a terrible attack. She was immediately sent to the hospital. The doctors later said that she could have died if she arrived a second too late."

"After Reiko got well, she told the teachers that Miyuki made an illusion, letting her see one of her greatest fears. When they learned about this, the principals and teachers found out that Miyuki's alice is not simple illusions, but the _fears_ in everyone's heart," Yuu said. "Her alice finds the fears of the person that she uses her alice on – and make this fear a reality for that person."

Yuu paused, as if remembering something. "After the academy learned what her alice was, they forbade her to use her alice for a whole month as her penalty and made her wear an alice inhibiter. At the same time, they categorized her alice as a latent-dangerous. It had been for only a day or two, however, because her alice is only dangerous when she really wants to use it – which just happens when she plays tricks on students. Now, she's back to being latent."

Mikan nodded, taking it all in. "I can't believe an illusion alice like yours could be so scary."

Yuu hesitated. "Well it's not exactly illusion, her alice. They find it more fitting to call it the _fear alice_. She shows you your greatest fears – and to call those ever-present fears illusions isn't accurate."

"Fear alice," Mikan muttered, almost reflective. Then she froze, a thought striking her with so much clarity it almost rendered her speechless. "Wait, Yuu." She grasped his arm suddenly. "Y-You – you mean she deals with people's fears – and makes it their reality? People's _fears_?" she repeated, looking quite pale and uncomfortable in her seat.

"That's right," Yuu answered, puzzled. "Mikan? What's the matter? Hey, Mikan…"

Mikan was not listening to him anymore. She just sat there, frozen in her place as she thought about it. Fears – Miyuki's alice thrived on the fears in everyone's heart, and would playfully turn them into reality if she so commanded.

Mikan's eyes widened, remembering what she had seen. _But I saw Natsume hugging her!__ Does it mean…? _She glanced up at the Black Cat. He was seated just a few desks away, and he must have heard Yuu's explanation.

Natsume looked back at her frankly, and Mikan turned away, her cheeks turning red. _That's so ridiculous! There's no way I'd be scared of something like that!_

"Hey, Mikan," Yuu called out. "Does it mean that you're scared of seeing Natsume hug another girl?" he asked, inadvertently voicing Mikan's thoughts.

"Of course not! Miyuki's alice _must be_ wrong!" Mikan exclaimed, knowing that Natsume was listening.

Yuu scratched his head. "I've never heard her make a mistake or something like that."

"Don't be silly, Yuu," Mikan muttered. She crossed her arms over her chest sulkily as she tried to avoid Natsume's gaze, feeling like the most pathetic liar even as she spoke. "Don't be silly."

۞۞۞

" – and then Yuu told me that Miyuki's alice deals with people's fears. But Hotaru, what I saw was Natsume _hugging_ Miyuki! And then – and then I felt something in my chest…" Mikan narrated as she watched her friend finish an invention. She had a contemplative expression on her face, as if she was really bothered by what she was feeling.

Hotaru stopped what she was doing and glanced at her friend. "It's called _jealousy_, you idiot," she told Mikan. "Kagami's alice has never been wrong – at least, not _yet_. She used her alice on you, so that means she showed you a fear you're not even aware you're scared of." She gave a knowing little smirk.

Mikan flushed deep scarlet. "Oh, no! Not you, too, Hotaru! I don't like him! I mean –"

"I haven't even said anything yet, Mikan," Hotaru told her, an amused expression on her face.

Mikan froze yet again, realizing her mistake. She reacted too quickly. _But she was smirking! I know what she was thinking! _She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hide her embarrassment. "You know, Hotaru, you really shouldn't assume things. I knew what you were thinking, so I reacted quickly."

"Oh? What is it I'm thinking, then, Mikan?" Hotaru fired back, enjoying her conversation with her friend. _It's time she begin to realize it. It has been seven long years._

Mikan gazed at her friend seriously. "You think I like Natsume."

Hotaru shrugged, getting more and more amused by the second. "I never thought that," she lied.

"What?" Mikan shrieked, alarmed. "That's impossible! You were smiling and all and – !" She trailed off, running out of things to say. _That's impossible! I knew she was thinking that! She's lying!_

"Don't try to accuse me of thinking what _you _are thinking, Mikan," Hotaru said plainly. _The hitch of being a girlfriend… you just realize the feelings you never knew were there._

Mikan's jaw fell.

۞۞۞

"You have such a twisted sense of humor."

Natsume looked up from what he was reading, narrowing his eyes when he realized that it was Hotaru Imai who spoke. "What?" he muttered, closing his book. He leaned back on his favorite cherry blossom tree, beckoning for her to continue.

And she did. "Mikan's fears. I can tell it amuses you immensely."

Natsume grunted, neither denying nor confirming what his classmate said. "Why are you here?"

"I don't believe you're stupid enough not to notice," Hotaru started nonchalantly, "but Mikan is confused, and your fan girls are furious." She tilted her chin. "As long as the fan girls think they have a chance, they will not leave Mikan alone. I consider that a very terrible prospect for her – " there was a click, and it was only then that Natsume realized that she was holding her idiot gun " – and for you."

The young man glared at her. "Are you _threatening _ me, Imai?"

Hotaru smirked. "I don't need to. You know exactly what I'm capable of." She fixed him with a careful stare. "So when's your date?"

Natsume turned away in irritation, wondering to what sort of devil Hotaru Imai must have sold her soul to know these things. "Friday next week."

۞۞۞

Several uneventful days quickly passed by Mikan without her realizing it. She had spent most of it mulling over what Hotaru told her, thinking that if she did, she would reach a conclusion. She kept asking herself just what she felt, just what her thoughts were. She hadn't been getting much sleep, but she still couldn't find the answer to her questions.

It was just downright frustrating.

"What's happening to me? There's no way I like Natsume! He's always so nasty to me! He even ignores me sometimes! Mikan, get a grip! Don't let Miyuki's alice mix you up! Her alice is wrong! Terribly wrong! You don't fear seeing Natsume with another girl!" she exclaimed, slapping her forehead. "And stop talking to yourself out loud!"

Mikan sighed as she walked along the grounds of the academy. It was lunchtime, but she didn't eat. In fact, she _couldn't_ eat. She had a lot of thinking to do. _Miyuki's alice! They tell me it's never been wrong, and that Miyuki showed me my fears – __the things I didn't even know I'm afraid of._

She inhaled deeply, pulling on the pigtails of her hair. "Ugh! If I had only known it would turn out this way, I wouldn't have agreed to be his girlfriend!"

"Hey, polka dot."

Mikan stiffed, quickly biting on her lip when she heard Natsume's familiar voice. She turned on her heel, an uncertain smile falling on her face as she watched him approach. "N-Natsume," she stuttered, and acknowledged the thudding of her heart. _What's happening to me?_

He looked at her carefully. "We have date Friday night next week. I'll fetch you from your room at 7, all right? Wear a semi-formal dress or something."

"A date?" she asked, her eyes widening in shock. "You're asking me to a date? No way!"

"Don't look so shocked. It's not funny," he grumbled, not looking very thrilled by the idea. The annoyance was evidently imprinted on his face – almost like someone had ruined a surprise for him.

Mikan sighed, stopping herself from thinking silly thoughts. She knew that Natsume was only doing this because they were supposed to be lovers, and nothing more. "All right. It's a date then," she said, smiling uncertainly despite the mixture of emotions in her chest. Even if it wasn't truly going to be a real date, she knew that there was a part of her that was excited. It was going her first date! "Friday at 7."

Natsume frowned at her smile, and shook his head. "Are you heading for class?" he asked instead.

She nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Then let's go," he said. Without missing a heartbeat, the young man grabbed her wrist like he had done it all his life, and the two of them walked together to the high school building.

۞۞۞

Not far from Natsume and Mikan, a young girl watched the conversation. Clicking the shutter of her camera, she smirked.

"A date, huh? We'll see about that."

۞۞۞

"You want us to follow Natsume Hyuuga for you, sister Miyuki?" the seven-year-old Rui Riyuzaki asked from the couch she sat on. She pointed a finger at a pen on the table and twirled it playfully in the air.

Nami Riyuzaki, Rui's twin, giggled as she memorized the dictionary. "Futz: slang. An intransitive verb. It means to fool around…" she muttered, committing the word to memory. She closed the dictionary and glanced at Miyuki. "Why would you want us to do that?"

"I need it for the fan club's magazine," Miyuki said as she sat down beside Rui. "I learned they have a date Friday next week. You observe them and report everything back to me."

Rui chuckled. "Our fan club has a _magazine_?" she joked. She and her sister shared a good-natured laughter. "A _magazine_! I can't believe it!"

Miyuki shook her head, amused. She learned that Natsume and Mikan were going to have a date this Friday, and she just knew that they had to be followed for the fan club. She first thought of following them herself, but decided against it the last minute. They already knew her, and she didn't think it would be a great idea for them to see her anywhere near them.

Rui and Nami, two elementary school students who were far too young to pay attention to boys, were members of the Natsume Fan Club. And they were the answer to her dilemma. They neither knew nor were interested in Natsume, but they liked Miyuki enough that they joined the club. They were the youngest members, something which amused them to no end.

The magazine Miyuki was talking about _did_ exist. It had been circulating for seven years now. It had been started by the first president of the fan club. It appeared sporadically; only when the members of the club were in the mood to write, or something interesting happened to Natsume. Almost everyone who admired Natsume knew about and read it.

It was called _The_ _Quidnunc_. When Miyuki was told about it, she thought the one who came up with it a lunatic. _Quidnunc _was Latin, and its literal translation was _what now?_ In its use, it was unpleasant; it always meant something associated with gossip and the like.

"We do," she answered. "Nami, I expect you to remember everything for me. Just observe Natsume and Mikan carefully, and tell me whether they act the way lovers are supposed to. It's important that you don't lose them." She paused. "Kari Maboroshi is coming with you."

"Kari Maboroshi?" Rui repeated, looking profoundly shocked. "_The _Kari Maboroshi?" she asked, her blue eyes wide as she gaped at Miyuki. Locks of her curly, sandy brown hair quavered when she shook her head in distress.

"You mean _the annoying _Kari Maboroshi!" Nami gasped. The two looked at Miyuki like what she had said was horribly wrong, grotesque, and vile. "But we don't like her!" she cried. She was green-eyed, with the same curly hair as her twin.

Miyuki shook her head. Rui and Nami were very dear to her, but she knew they could be obnoxious. They liked throwing hysterical fits. They were brats in the real sense of the word. They wouldn't hesitate to use their alices to annoy people, and they could be extremely sarcastic. And when they disliked a person, they really disliked that person. Kari Maboroshi, one of the most loyal members of the fan club, was certainly not someone in their list of favorites. "Kari is the one who found out that Natsume and Mikan Sakura are going to have a date. It's just right that she comes with you."

"We can do everything by ourselves!" the twins insisted.

Miyuki sighed. "I know you don't like her, but she will be the one to take pictures while you follow Natsume," she explained patiently.

"We can do that! That's _easy_! All we do is click the shutter!"

"She will also compose the paper," she added simply. Kari was the magazine editor – whenever the magazine was printed. The girl also took care of everything, from garnering information to printing the paper.

The statement made Rui and Nami frown. Miyuki knew they had no patience for that particular task. "Well?"

Rui and Nami glanced at each other, still frowning. Their eyes seemed to do the conversation for them. Finally, Rui sighed, as if answering was a great ordeal. "All right, sister Miyuki."

Miyuki smiled. "Thank you, Rui, Nami," she said, and turned on her heel to grab some food from her mini kitchen. "Now let me get you some of that cake I baked."

Rui followed Miyuki with her gaze until the older girl disappeared into the other room. "Nami," she called out to her sister, blinking innocently. "We do agree to give Kari and that Mikan Sakura _hell, _don't we?"

Nami returned the smile, just as innocent as her twin's. "Of course, Rui."

**…to be continued…**

* * *

**Quidnunc** is a very much existing English word, which means a person who wants to know what's going on. Its origin is Latin, and its literal translation is _what now? _In its present use, quidnunc is associated with gossips and the like.

**Hilaire  
01.25.08**


	6. Little Horrors of Going on a Date

For those who are asking for the site, it's _lingeringdream . webs. com_ :)

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**Little Horrors of Going on a Date**

"You used your alice on Sakura?"

Miyuki whirled around and found a serious Mina gazing at her. Unperturbed, Miyuki simply went back to the copy of the Quidnunc Kari gave her that morning. She really had no time for the president of the fan club.

"I am asking you, Kagami," Mina persisted, not to be put off by how she reacted.

Miyuki frowned. There was always something demeaning in the way Mina called others by their surnames. It produced a detached impression, and it always appeared that Mina felt she was superior, that she was a friend of no one. "You know the answer," Miyuki replied without looking at the girl. "You've been watching, haven't you?"

Mina simply shrugged. "Why?"

Miyuki cocked an eyebrow as she looked up. "I think the answer is obvious: I wanted to find out if Mikan Sakura is really Natsume's girlfriend."

"Through her fears?" Mina asked with evident interest. "One's fears don't prove anything."

"Oh, but they do," she answered, annoyed by the girl's statement. And what was she doing talking to Mina? Hadn't she told herself she wouldn't waste time doing so? "Leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you."

"Stop being childish, Kagami: This is important to the club." When she didn't reply, Mina continued. "She – Sakura – has a nullifying alice. She has been in this academy for seven years – and I would think that by now she has mastered it already. But you used your alice on her quite effectively, and quite easily. How come her alice didn't work on you? How come your alice wasn't nullified by her nullifying alice?"

Miyuki paused. She had thought about that. "_Fear_, Mina." Mina remained silent, so she proceeded. "I caught her by surprise – she was by herself when I walked up to her. Before that, everyone had been staring at her because of Natsume's disclosure. She must have been very nervous."

She glanced at the girl. "When one is scared, one forgets all about one's alice. It doesn't matter if one has mastered it or not. Realize that greatest control is best managed through fear. I wouldn't have been able to use my alice on Mikan had it not been for her fear and anxiety."

"And you ask me whether fears prove anything. They do. They prove a lot. Especially since I looked into her fears concerning Natsume. She cares much for him, and it would absolutely upset her if she would see Natsume with another girl." She smiled a mirthless smile. "Fear is a source of power."

Mina stared at her for a while, seeming to think this through. Finally, she nodded. "I see." Without any invitation, she sat beside Miyuki.

"Don't sit beside me," Miyuki complained. "I've already given you information."

Mina's expression was bland. "How is the Quidnunc doing?"

"Free edition, everyone! Grab your copy!" a red-haired girl announced as she tossed magazines in all directions. Surprisingly, her aim wasn't random, and each throw was directed to a specific person. Her toss was easy enough to be caught even by the clumsiest student, and everyone got his own copy.

Mikan was just emerging from her room, stretching as she closed the door securely behind her. With a smile, she was about to greet everyone a good morning when –

_THWACK!_

A magazine hit her face directly. It was such a _unique_ way to begin her morning, and at the same time such a unique way to piss her off. She was in a good mood, too! How dare someone throw a magazine at her face!

"Ugh! Who threw that?" she yelled as she stomped a foot on the magazine on the floor. Her eyes sought the person who committed the offense, but the redhead had already proceeded to distribute the remaining ones in her hands. Apparently, she hadn't realized that she hit someone. "You really shouldn't throw things at people, you know!" Mikan added.

"Are you being stupid again?" Hotaru asked from behind her friend. She held a drink in one hand and her own copy of the magazine in the other.

"I'm not being stupid! It's just that someone threw that at me!" Mikan complained, frowning while pointing to the magazine on the floor. "She shouldn't have done that!"

"She threw all of us one. It was such an easy catch, too," Hotaru said quietly. "You know, you're supposed to catch things with your hands. Not with your face."

"Hotaru!" she sulked. When she realized that her friend was already reading the magazine, she picked up her own copy. Its banner said _Quidnunc_. "What is this, anyway?" She read the biggest headline and her eyes widened in astonishment and alarm.

"Looks like you and Natsume made the headlines," Hotaru said flatly, and sipped her drink.

**x~x~x**

"Natsume!" Mikan screamed as she threw open the door to her classroom. Scanning the room, she immediately found Natsume with Ruka. They were the only ones there. She rushed to him, a worried look on her face. "Natsume! Have you read the magazine that they've been distributing?"

Natsume merely grunted in response. He flipped to the next page of the book he was reading, ignoring her altogether.

"Natsume!" she screamed yet again when she realized what he was _not_ doing. "I'm talking to you! Listen to me!"

Ruka flinched as he watched the exchange between his friends. Actually, it was hardly an exchange, since only Mikan was doing the talking. He threw Hotaru a questioning look, and she gave him the Quidnunc she held in response.

It was a small magazine, about the size of a regular notebook. It wasn't very thick, but the pages were glossy. In the bottom right portion of the cover, a small note was written: _a creation of the Official Natsume Fan Club_**. **It seemed that the fan girls had money to spare.

He read the headline and went pale. It simply said:

**Natsume's Relationship a Fabrication?**

He glanced back up at Hotaru, and she gestured for him to turn it to the indicated page. He did as he was instructed, and read.

_Just this Monday, the infamous Black Cat of the high school branch astounded everyone – particularly his admirers – with his astonishing disclosure: his relationship with Mikan Sakura. Mikan Sakura, a used-to-be no-star, had been Natsume's classmate when she first entered the academy…_

It was a simple article, actually. After a brief history of Mikan and Natsume, and a retelling of what had happened in the cafeteria, its author elaborated on a survey she had conducted. She asked a simple question whether everyone believed what Natsume had told them several days ago. The mainstream of the students asked apparently did not.

_Upon learning about Natsume's relationship, admirers have expressed their doubts. Many point out that they've never noticed any connection between Natsume and Mikan. Still a great number quote that "…they're almost always arguing, and Natsume always burns her hair"…._

There was a page for the opinions of the readers.

"…_I really didn't expect someone like that Mikan to be Natsume's girlfriend… she doesn't look like the girlfriend type…" Lina Gamata, high school student_

"…_It must be some sort of joke…she doesn't look pretty to me…her face is so common…" – fan club member_

"_I can't accept it! Mikan's not even pretty!" – Sumire Shouda, president, Natsume-Ruka Fan Club_

The last words of the author of the article did not help.

_Is everything the Black Cat had said just a fabrication? It seems finding out the truth about this so-called relationship is just up to the Natsume admirers._

It was highly uncalled for, and it was pathetic. Ruka wondered just what kind of people actually wasted time prying on other people's lives. _They even have a magazine. _"Natsume… maybe you should take a look at this…" This article meant that the kiss hadn't accomplished its purpose.

Natsume turned to him, unmindful of Mikan's tirade. "Hn." He put down his comic book and picked up the Quidnunc. He read about two sentences, and immediately tossed back the magazine to Mikan, who barely caught it. "What nonsense." He glanced at the brunette. "Why are you so worked up?"

"Oh, so you finally noticed my existence, did you?" Mikan said to him mockingly, twitching an eyebrow. When she saw the Natsume was close to ignoring her again, she immediately lost her sarcasm. She bent down so that she could look at him evenly. "Why am I so worked up? Well, for one, that article means that you've convinced no one of what we're doing! And you even had to kiss me and this means –

Natsume put an arm around her shoulder. "This means that you should look good on our date."

"What?" Mikan asked him, confused. She broke free from his grasp, not comprehending what he was saying.

"Most of the comments they make are about you, you know," Natsume said seriously. "I've been hearing their comments. They say you're not pretty enough for me." He smirked. "It means you have to do something about your face."

"What?" she shrieked.

**x~x~x**

"That Natsume! I absolutely hate him!" Mikan exclaimed as she sat down on the bed, frustrated. It was nighttime, and she and Hotaru were in the latter's room. Her friend was the one who had calmed her down when she wanted to kill Natsume for insulting her. She punched a pillow furiously. Whatever care she had for Natsume the other day already flew out the window. He was simply not worth it!

"Just calm down," Hotaru advised. She was sitting on the couch across the bed. She wasn't listening to Mikan, of course; she was still busy with her own copy of the Quidnunc. There was something about the magazine that bothered her, like there was something about it that didn't quite make sense.

"But he insulted me, Hotaru!" Mikan said, frowning.

"That wasn't an insult. That was the truth," Hotaru deadpanned, finally looking up from the magazine just in time to see Mikan burst into a wailing.

"Hotaru! I know I'm not as pretty as the other girls running after Natsume, but – !"

Hotaru cut her short. "Don't take what he told you seriously, Mikan," she said, putting down the magazine.

"But still!"

"There's no use being angry. He has a point: You have to look good on your date with him to prove to those girls that what they're saying about you is wrong. And you have to prove to him, too, that he's wrong."

She paused, and stopped weeping. Hotaru had a good point. She looked at her friend. "Hotaru…"

"What do you say we make him eat his words?"

Mikan's mind was blank. What was her friend thinking of? "How…?" she murmured.

"Just leave it to me. I know someone who can help us."

"Don't rain on their parade."

Surprised, Ruka halted his tracks to face the owner of the voice. When he turned, he saw Hotaru looking critically at him. Her face was devoid of any emotion, and her tone was flat. "What do you mean?" he asked, although he knew exactly what she was trying to tell him. "And what are you doing here?" It was already so late in the evening, and they still had classes the following day.

"I walked Mikan back to her room. You can imagine how affected she was by what Hyuuga said." Hotaru shrugged. "They're going on a date. Don't tell me you will actually tag along?" she told him as she walked up to him, as if it would make him understand better. "In dating, three is a crowd, Nogi."

Ruka stepped back, uncomfortable. He wasn't used being so close to his blackmailer. He really should be, since they've known each other for years. But for some reason, he was not. She still made him nervous. Hotaru had not changed, after all. "I-I… wasn't… I wasn't planning that…" he said. And that was the truth.

Hotaru's expression did not change. "I'm surprised."

That was one thing he didn't like about her. She always said she was surprised, but her calm demeanor did not reflect what she supposedly felt. She was always so composed and collected. Unlike him who always blushed furiously whenever Mikan was around, or when Hotaru taunted him with her blackmailing pictures of him. "I don't see it," he told her bluntly, when he found the courage to speak.

"See what?"

He hesitated, but decided to go ahead with it anyway. "I don't see any surprise in your face. You're always so composed. So… _unfeeling_."

She chuckled, apparently amused by his comment. "You've changed, haven't you?" she asked him as she drew her face closer to his, looking at him straight in the eye. She was teasing him, all right. And he didn't like it. "You've learned how to say what you think, if only a little?"

Ruka stood his ground and looked back evenly at her. "Don't tease me, Imai," he told her. _I wish she wouldn't stand this close to me… _And why exactly was she telling him things like that? Just for the fun of it? "I've learned long time ago to say exactly what I think," he added, for good measure. He didn't know how to react, if truth be told. All his life, he had always been distant from girls, except from Mikan and Hotaru. He didn't pay attention to them, and rarely talked to them.

Hotaru's serious gaze did not waver.

Against his will, he blushed. "Quit looking at me like that!" he told her, his cheeks red as tomatoes. He knew it, and it made him blush even more. "Leave me alone!"

Hotaru gave an almost imperceptible smile. "I guess not. You haven't changed a bit." She straightened up, her smile disappearing as she walked past him. "Be ready on Friday, Nogi. We have a date," she said as she walked away. "Fetch me from my room at 7. It's your treat."

His eyes widened. "What?" He turned to her harshly. To say that he was surprised was an understatement.

"It was my idea for Natsume to ask Mikan to a date. I want to watch how things would turn out. I figured you would, too." She paused a short while, then added: "Since you like her."

Ruka was silent as he watched her go.

**x~x~x**

"What place do you have in mind?" Hotaru asked Natsume. It was Friday, and they've just finished their classes. The latter was on his way to his room, which meant going the same direction as the blackmailer.

"Tch. Why are you so curious?"

"I'll follow you," Hotaru said simply.

At that, Natsume couldn't help but look at the girl. He couldn't believe how casually she had answered his question, and with such honesty, too. A dry laugh escape his lips as a thought struck him. "You're taking Ruka with you, am I right?"

Hotaru shrugged. "And so I am."

"Tch." Natsume frowned. "Azure Yacht."

Hotaru nodded. The Black Cat didn't know if it meant her approval or something else. "All right. I'll see you then. Don't let your fan girls kill Mikan."

Natsume simply grunted as the two of them parted ways, their rooms being in the opposite ends of the hallway.

"Azure Yacht. Fancy," a shadow in a corner said. It had been watching the exchange between Natsume and Hotaru, and the two hadn't failed it. Its owner had the information it wanted.

**x~x~x**

"Her name is Umi Kisara, and she's from technical type," Hotaru told Mikan as they walked. The two of them were going to Umi's room, where the girl told them to go that afternoon.

Mikan bit her lower lip. "I'm so nervous, Hotaru," she muttered. It was Friday, already four o'clock; only three more hours to go before her date with Natsume. What made her nervous wasn't only the fact that it would be her first date, but also that she knew she was going to be watched by Natsume's admirers. They still had no knowledge about the date, but she was sure they'd all swarm around the place she and Natsume would go to once they see the two of them together.

"Don't be," Hotaru said. "Umi has the alice of fashion. Her forte is designing and sewing clothing, and she has considerable knowledge in hairstyle and makeup. The academy gave her a two-storey workplace of her own, where she creates clothing for her boutique and for the academy." They were now nearing Umi's room. According to Hotaru, the girl was a Top Star student.

Mikan was amazed. "Wow. She must be good."

"She's amazing." Hotaru paused. "There's only one problem."

Sensing her friend's reluctance to continue, she asked: "What is it, Hotaru?" Hotaru stopped in front of a large chocolate-colored door and knocked.

Hotaru looked at her squarely. "It's just that Umi – "

The intercom beside door suddenly squeaked, interrupting Hotaru. "Who is it?" the person inside the room asked.

Hotaru walked up to it. "It's Hotaru."

Mikan waited with unease. She simply couldn't calm herself down. And what was the problem of Umi? Hotaru hadn't finished with what she was supposed to tell her. _I wonder…_ She paused. What if Umi was a fan girl of Natsume? _Oh, no! "_Hotaru, what's – "

The door suddenly opened, and a tall girl with the most striking pair of green eyes emerged.

"Just do what she asks you and don't make a mistake," Hotaru added quietly.

"Huh?"

The girl had her long copper hair in two low ponytails, her bangs cascading down her cheeks. She was wearing a simple white dress that reached her knees, matched with a pair of white sandals. Her neatly powdered face lit up when she saw Hotaru.

"There you are. I thought you wouldn't come," Umi said, opening the door wider for them. She saw Mikan standing behind the somber girl. "Natsume's girlfriend?" she asked, giving Mikan a once-over as her glossed lips curved up in a friendly smile.

Mikan nodded timidly. Despite the simplicity, the girl was undoubtedly very pretty. "Uh… yes." Umi pulled her inside the room, and she no choice but to enter.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Mikan. I'm Umi Kisara," she said, extending her hand for a handshake. She noticed Mikan's hesitation and her smiled widened. "Don't worry. I'm not one of Natsume's fan girls. Call me Umi."

"Really? Thank goodness!" Mikan exclaimed happily. She smiled at the girl and took her hand. "Call me Mikan. It's nice to meet you, Umi." She sighed, realizing just how unfounded her uncertainty was. It was certainly difficult to imagine Umi being a fan girl. The girl had too much class for that sort of thing.

"I'm not friends with fan girls," Hotaru commented, almost smirking.

"I believe you," Umi said, smiling at Hotaru. "Let's go to my dressing room." She guided the two girls to another door and opened it. Without a pause, she turned on the lights.

Mikan was shocked to find the seemingly endless racks of clothing inside. "Did you… did you make all of these?" she asked, dumbfounded. She had never seen this number of dresses before! The room was _huge_, and it was filled with clothes. Every occasion seemed to have its corresponding rack.

Umi smiled, pride showing in her face. "They are. I haven't worn any of them yet; my clothes are in the cabinet beside my bed." She threw the wall clock a glance. "It's already four; we have to begin." She pointed to the couch. "Hotaru, you can sit down while you wait. Mikan, please stand in front of the mirror.

Mikan did as she was told, while Umi stared at her, studying her physique. "All right." Umi walked to the racks of dresses. "Where are you dining?" she asked as she decided on the dress.

Hotaru answered for Mikan. "Azure Yacht."

Mikan turned to Hotaru in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"I _asked_," Hotaru said, and Mikan was silenced by the simplicity of it all.

"Classy," Umi commented. She picked three dresses – black, blue, and white. "Go there," she said, pointing to a fitting room in a corner, "and try them on. Then go back here and let me see you in each one." She handed Mikan the dresses.

Mikan smiled. "All right."

**x~x~x**

Ruka stared at the suit he bought for this specific night. It cost him much, but funny: He didn't really mind.

He shook his head. He was just going to a dinner with Hotaru. And moreover, he was just going to be there because he wanted to see how Natsume's date with Mikan would go. Just that, and nothing more.

He knew he liked Mikan. He had liked her for a long time now; he just didn't have the courage to tell her. She always rendered him speechless when she smiled at him, and she always smiled when he told her he would confess something to her.

Now that she was Natsume's pretend girlfriend… he didn't know what to feel, actually. It had caught him by surprise. Natsume, too, liked Mikan, but he had never said anything to her.

Because the two of them were friends.

It was the hardest part of it all: They were friends, and they liked the same girl. Each was unsure how to move, unsure how to act. They were always careful around each other; in fact, each have given the other a chance to tell Mikan how the other felt, but neither of them had moved.

Ruka sighed. He didn't have time to mull over that. He was going to a date with Hotaru, whatever the reasons were. There was a small part of him that told him he was doing not only this because he wanted to watch his friends' date, but because –

Because of Hotaru.

_What's wrong with me? _he thought, beginning to feel annoyed with himself. He acted so stupid last night; he blushed furiously just because Hotaru stood a little too near him. He told himself that he should definitely learn how to control his emotions.

_A date with my blackmailer._

He was about to smile about it when he suddenly remembered that it was his treat.

**x~x~x**

"Where's Umi?" screamed Sumire as she pounded on the reception desk inside the Seňorita. Owned by Umi Kisara, the _Seňorita_ was a parlor only for women. It was an annex of the other Seňorita - a boutique of dresses, bags, and footwear. Right now, it was filled with customers, attended to by its staff which was, of course, all students of the school. Sumire's scream had gathered the attention of everyone inside.

The receptionist was already backing down the corner. "Uh… Seňorita – "

"Don't 'seňorita' me!" Sumire told her, fuming. She knew it was customary for the member of staff to call the client _seňorita_, but she just didn't care right now. "Where's Umi?"

"Miss Umi isn't around. She left just a while ago," the girl said, scared. Sumire looked like she was going to kill someone.

"Where did she say she would go?" Sumire barked, narrowing her eyes with menace.

"She didn't say – "

"Don't you dare hide her from me!" Sumire yelled again, pummeling the granite desk so hard it _shook_.

"Seňorita, please, just calm down – "

"Don't tell me to calm down! I'm not calm!" Sumire muttered through clenched teeth. "I can't calm down, do you hear?" And why would she calm down? How could she – when an anonymous person had left a piece of paper through her door and informed her that Natsume was going to take Mikan to a date that evening?

She had rushed to the place since she knew that Umi Kisara was the best person to help her prepare for that dinner. They weren't exactly friends, but money talked, and she had a lot of it after students were given their allowance.

Unfortunately, Umi was nowhere near the parameters of the building. Sumire was running out of time. She was told that the date would be at seven, and it was now almost six.

"But – "

"No buts! I have to look good, you hear me? Natsume is taking Mikan to dinner tonight, and I have to look good to take his attention from her!" she shouted. It was too late when she realized her fatal mistake. She had forgotten that everyone inside the place was a girl, and that almost all girls in the academy were _obsessed _ with Natsume.

"What did you say? Natsume? A date? Where?" the receptionist shouted. It was now her turn to scream at Sumire, and frankly she thought it felt good.

"Uh… what did I say?" Sumire muttered, trying to hide her blunder by flashing a small grin. "You guys… you must be hearing things. I _didn't_ say anything about a date – "

"Don't you dare hide it from us!"

Sumire bit her lower lip as she stared at the girls now gathering around her. _Oh, shit._

**x~x~x**

"I told you to look up! Don't look down!" Umi screamed at Mikan for the nth time. She waved her hand in front of Mikan's face. "How many times do I have to tell you? Look up!"

Mikan wanted to scramble for cover. The girl was insane! She wanted everything to be perfect! Now she understaood what was wrong with Umi: She was a perfectionist, and she went perfectly _insane_ when things were not the way she wanted them to be. They had already finished with the dress and her nails, and her hair was bound with curlers. Now Umi was applying her some makeup.

They were already in the mascara, but Mikan just couldn't keep her gaze up the ceiling. She wasn't used to applying mascara, and despite Umi's careful hands, she still blinked and looked down. She couldn't help it; it was her eyes' reaction. "I-I'm… I'm sorry…" she moaned, her eyes watery. She blinked several times, remaining in her seat when all she wanted was to run for her dear life.

"Just do what I tell you to do!" Umi said dangerously. "Now: Look up." Mikan looked up. "No! Not _that_ up! Look down a _little_ – I said look _down_ a little!" She now clenched the small brush angrily. "Mikan…!"

"Hotaru…" Mikan whimpered. She stared upward and fixated her eyes upon the ceiling. _Umi seemed so nice and friendly, too… Who could have known she's this insane? That's why Hotaru told me to do as she says…_

"There," Umi finally said after a short while. "It's done." She capped the small bottle of mascara and ran to her dressing room.

"Hotaru!" Mikan called to her friend. Scared of Umi, she stayed where she was. "Why is she like that? I thought she was so nice."

Hotaru shrugged. "She is nice. She just hates it when things don't go her way." A small smile tugged the corner of Hotaru's lips. "At least she made you pretty."

Mikan sighed as she turned to look at her reflection. Hotaru was right; she did pretty. _You're already pretty. It won't be hard to make you prettier_, Umi had said. "You're right. I owe her."

Umi came back, holding a stack of boxes. She put them down, opened one, and gave what was inside to Mikan. "Here."

Mikan blinked. "But... but that's a pair of high heels!" The heels looked like they were nine inches in length, and about two centimeters in width. "That… that'll _kill_ me!" She took one look at Umi's face and knew she had said the wrong thing. _Uh-oh._

"Are you going against my judgment?" Umi snapped. She was obviously not used to being questioned about the things that she wanted done. It was _scary_.

In the far corner of the room, Hotaru sighed. "Umi has issues," she whispered, and flipped to the next page of the magazine she had been reading.

"Good luck, Mikan."

**…to be continued…**

* * *

**Seňorita **is a Spanish title used to or of an unmarried girl or woman. In my country, to be called a _seňorita_ is considered a sign of affluence.

**Hilaire  
04.14.08**


	7. Chapter Seven

Revision ongoing. Please go to _lingeringdream(dot)webs(dot)com_ for more information about The Game of Let's Pretend, and add this story to your _story alerts _ for updates.

**Hilaire**


	8. Chapter Eight

Revision ongoing. Please go to _lingeringdream(dot)webs(dot)com_ for more information about The Game of Let's Pretend, and add this story to your _story alerts _ for updates.

**Hilaire**


	9. Chapter Nine

Revision ongoing. Please go to _lingeringdream(dot)webs(dot)com_ for more information about The Game of Let's Pretend, and add this story to your _story alerts _ for updates.

**Hilaire**


	10. Chapter Ten

Revision ongoing. Please go to _lingeringdream(dot)webs(dot)com_ for more information about The Game of Let's Pretend, and add this story to your _story alerts _ for updates.

**Hilaire**


	11. Chapter Eleven

Revision ongoing. Please go to _lingeringdream(dot)webs(dot)com_ for more information about The Game of Let's Pretend, and add this story to your _story alerts _ for updates.

**Hilaire**


	12. Chapter Twelve

Revision ongoing. Please go to _lingeringdream(dot)webs(dot)com_ for more information about The Game of Let's Pretend, and add this story to your _story alerts _ for updates.

**Hilaire**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Revision ongoing. Please go to _lingeringdream(dot)webs(dot)com_ for more information about The Game of Let's Pretend, and add this story to your _story alerts _ for updates.

**Hilaire**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Revision ongoing. Please go to _lingeringdream(dot)webs(dot)com_ for more information about The Game of Let's Pretend, and add this story to your _story alerts _ for updates.

**Hilaire**


End file.
